Bad to Worse a Series of One Shots
by DreamCloud704
Summary: A series of one shots mostly focusing on 80/59. However other pairings included. Oneshot 9: A small accident in his flat leaves Gokudera wondering where an earth he's going to live for next week. Enter Dr. Shamal with a wonderful idea...
1. Chapter 1: Not the Best of Ideas

Okay so first Katekyo Hitman Reborn Story/attempt at story, or should a say series of one shots...

Pairing: 80/59 and others depending on how I'm feeling and what I'm writing.

Rating; T (but hey it could could go up *wink wink*

and on that note do enjoy.

* * *

I wasn't sure exactly when it has started happening, but somewhere along the line it seemed that the kid had started tagging along with the brat to his training sessions.

Don't get me wrong it doesn't bother me all that much, seriously it doesn't. For the most part he sits quietly in the corner of the room, sometimes with a book; sometimes with that bitchy cat of his. He never watches that much, which is odd, considering that the brat is his supposed boyfriend and all. One would think he would be watching cheering me on to kick my ass.

But he never does.

Today he's sitting there with a book, knees drawn up to his chest, hair tied up in a loose band and a set of reading glasses.

The brat's supposed to be working on his movement with me today, however as normal I can tell his mind elsewhere. He just won't take it fucking seriously! He's got this stupid goofy look on his face and keeps attempting to catch the kids eye; who is clearly to focused in his book; cheek resting against a close fist, head turned away from him.

I honestly don't get the big deal. The kid treats him like shit at times. His voice constantly raised when speaking to him, eyes wide and angry. Yet the brat takes it all on the chin with one of those cheery grins and an arm hanging loosely from his so called "boyfriends" neck attempting to pacify him. I've seen it so many times before, it's getting old.

So try as I freaking might, here I am drawing the brat into a proper fight (trust me I wouldn't even bother if it wasn't for that shorty kid Reborn and his god dammed threats). But apparently brats not having any of it, he instead smiles casually, all the while defending my attempts to slash his head off.

Evidently it was his dad who got him into this, sword wielding I mean; and according to one of my _very _brief conversations with the kid he idolizes his dad. So what's the deal with treating it like playtime?

Unless…

Then abruptly the gears in my head are turning at a rapid pace as an idea forms.

He obviously needs something to get him focused, grab his attention and hold it.

Naturally _my_ focus comes from my pride; I _am_ part of the Varia after all, my greatest pride. There are not many who can say that. We make goddamned sure.

But what could possibly keep the brat focused aside from baseball?

There's no way I am going to try and teach him how to wield a sword with baseball as my medium. I simply fucking _refuse_.

Thanks to that brat I have come hold a deep dislike for the sport. I don't care how freaking good it is for you.

So what do I do? What the hell does he like as much as baseball?

A sudden light catches my eyes and turn to knock the crap out of it for temporally blinding me.

It just kinda hit me. I don't even know what you call it. Inspiration maybe? Yeah let's go with that. I suddenly had a fucking _epiphany_.

But point is the kid was suddenly surrounded by blinding sunlight and it was as if God himself was shining a flash light on him to grab my attention.

Duh.

I manoeuvred myself to the side sharply, and the brat gave me an odd look, and I could see the sudden confusion in his eyes over the fact that I had literally darted away from him; when it had been _me_ who had been pummelling _him_ into the floor moments ago.

I smirked as if to literally _tell_ him I had very recently acuminated a plan.

Again with the muddled expression, really he doesn't have a clue. What the _fuck_ does the kid see in him? Probably good in bed…

Fuck! Mental image!

Back on track. The plan seems to working well and the brat doesn't have a clue as I move along the wall, seemingly as if to circle him.

I don't think it really hit the kid when I grabbed him. I don't think it properly registered with the brat either.

One minuet he's sitting on the floor engrossed in some Italian writer's crappy novel, and the next he's up off his feet, glasses and book falling to ground and my sword at his throat.

I inwardly smirk as it starts to dawn in the brats eyes as to what I just did, and I'm telling you he looks _pissed_. His eyes light up with this fire that I've never seen before. I mean sure I've seen it when he's been fighting for his life and once on the rare occasion when he did get mad.

But not like _this_. He's suddenly glaring at me like I've _killed_ the kid. Not merely grabbed him off the floor and introduced him to my left hand (sword).

He stands stock still as I forcefully remove the kid's rings from his fingers, and drop them to the floor with my right hand, to avoid complications with the kid trying to kill me. I think he might have gone into shock slightly as he only struggles slightly as though he's not entirely sure as to what going on right now.

"Let him go" the words are spoken from the brat in a harsh tone, almost like he's trying to kill with words. Doesn't do anything mind you, I've suddenly got his attention, maybe he'd going to take this seriously now.

Another smirk on my part as I kick the kids many rings to the side away from him.

"I don't think so brat. If you make a wrong move I think I may be forced to slit his throat you don't want that now do you?" to prove my point I slowly drag my blade along the kids throat, watching as a ribbon of red etches though his skin. The kid makes a gasping noise that I'm sure is meant to signal he's in pain. The reaction only makes the brats eyes darken with anger.

Honestly all it does is make me smirk more. I can truthfully say I've never seen him so serious, and to think the key to unlocking it has been sitting under my nose the entire time.

"Remember this lesson is all about movement, you ought to be careful with yours" the words are defiantly meant to be teasing; an outright challenge for him to take back what's his.

"What the fuck is going on?" the kid seems to finally be grasping the predicament he's in. He immediately begins to struggle lashing out at my leg behind him; seeing as his arms are now uselessly pinned behind his back with my free hand.

"Takeshi!" he yells out. "What the fuck is this about you idiot?"

The brat stands still again, cautiously thinking about how to move. Though his eyes don't leave the kid trapped in my hold.

I give him a cruel smile as a plan to wind him up even more comes to mind.

"Don't worry" I tell the kid leaning down to his ear suggestively, eyes never leaving the brat. "He didn't have any hand in this" Slowly, making sure the brat can see, I drag my tongue over where I surgically sliced though the kid's skin wiping the blood away with one lick.

This move obviously doesn't go down well.

For one the kid's now trying desperately to move away in vain, ripping his head away from me and pulling on his arms in an attempt to tear them away. All the while he's throwing the brat these desperate looks, probably trying to communicate to him that he _really_ doesn't want to be in this position with me.

The brat on the other hand is practically shaking with anger, and I suddenly feel this odd aura of malice emitting from him. To be honest it does make me pause for a while, because I honestly didn't think he was capable of feeling anything akin to hate. Oh well guess I was wrong there, because apparently it's so shocking that the kid freezes momentarily in his escapade of trying to escape to stare in horror at him.

Then he's running at me full pelt with the sharp side of the blade flying at me.

Heartless prick obviously forgot whose currently being held hostage in my arms. Great cause now I'm going to have to defend both of us, cause Gods knows what the brat would do to me if the kid actually died. Not that this would be my fault considering that the brats the one running at me and kid all guns blazing. But naturally it would be my fault 'cause I started it and all that shit.

Anyway he's suddenly flying at me, so naturally I duck and roll, taking the kid with me. I sort of land oddly and he takes most of the drive. Yeah I said I wouldn't let him get killed, that doesn't mean I'm goanna make sure he come out of this pristine and without a single scratch on him.

He's not _my_ fucking boyfriend.

Apparently I don't have much time for thinking, as he comes flying at me again, this time I'm quick to move; the fuck away from him that is.

I jump up and take a leap back hauling the kid's weight with me, which surprisingly isn't much. Then I remember he's a friggin chain smoker, and smell is getting my nerves every time he shoves that freaking turf of silver hair in my face, I feel like ripping the pissing band from his hair. I would have done if I wasn't busy dodging the mess that the brats abruptly turned into.

I blame the next move on a sudden lapse in my concentration.

From the corner of my eye I catch him flying at me from the air, sword poised and jacket flying out behind him as he picks up momentum. The kid ducks in fear that his head will be severed from his neck. I don't share the same the fear and lash my arm out, and by extension sword. I par it with his and it swiftly become a battle of whose going to break first as he applies more pressure from his side of the metal in some sort of false hope that he can push me back.

"Hayato, are you okay?" He asks, though his eyes are still on me and as nasty looking as ever, but that soft tone of his is back, solely reserved for the kid clearly.

I literally _feel_ the kid relax slightly.

"I'm fine you idiot, just hurry up and get this over with will you"

See what I mean about him being a bitch? The brats literally fighting for his life and he says crap like that. No, "thank you" or "don't worry about me, I'm okay". He could be a lot more grateful, but apparently he's not, and if he is he has a pretty fucked up way of showing it.

But I digress, it is after all none of my business as to who my student chooses as his future wife.

Now _there's_ a mental image I _did not_ want to give myself.

The brat has the audacity to copy my move from earlier as he begins to use his own sword as a hammer and my as a nail. It's really not funny and after a minuet I show him by ducking down and swerving to side, before bringing my arm back up to slash him in the side.

That little punk see's straight through it though and in a whirl of silver bring his own sword back up to defend himself from the side attack. He does however go skidding back before coming to stop.

It must have finally sunk in I was pretty serious about this match; because now I can finally see the cogs of his pea sized brain moving, thinking about his next move.

When it finally does come I have to use mine _and_ the kid weight to hurl us out the way as a torrent of water descends upon the training ground.

Fuck! That little shit is trying to drown us!

"VOOOOII! Are you trying to kill us!" I can't help but shout.

The brat appears from behind the veils of water that have taken residence in the room and I reckon the idiots burst a pipe somewhere, cause there's no freaking way he's summoned all the water on his own.

I glance up to see he has indeed, right along the side of the wall is a gaping slash with water now streaming down the wall, and the urge to throttle him erupts inside me. Because really, who is the boss going to blame for this? He doesn't like paying for shit for as it is, (unless it's good food and by food I mean a crate load of meat); never mind a new training room every other week.

The kids clearly not impressed either, if the deep set frown is anything to go by, although that could be down to the fact that he's being tossed around like ragdoll and that now his rings are lost within the tide of water the brats produced. Hell I'd be pissed too.

The brats still not answered me and it's beginning to not only creep me the fuck out but piss me off too.

"OI! Did you hear me; the point is working on your movement not trying to drown us!"

"I wouldn't hurt Hayato" he tells me sincerely, and I can't help but agree he wouldn't, I still roll my eyes anyway.

I really shouldn't have done that.

It takes about a minuet for me to realise what happened. I remember standing knee deep in water, still with a firm grip on the kid's neck, which is really going to leave a mark by the way. The next I'm face first on the ground and the kids literally wrenched from my grasp. I whip round to do some heavy damage from that cowardly move only to find the brats sword in my face and his oversized dog growling in my face from the side. To that I give the mutt a dirty look followed by a deadpan stare to show him I don't give a fuck that he's trying to intimidate me.

I go to look back to the brat only to find that he's no longer looming over me, but instead carrying the kid away back to his corner where he'd been sitting earlier.

The kids yelling at him to put him down, which the brat eventually does after they reach the spot, as he does and the silver haired punk finds his feet again, brat pulls him into a strong and intimate hug. Words I don't catch are exchanged between them; however I do pick up on the feisty tail end of "I wasn't going to die idiot!" However the nick name is pronounced more softly than usual.

Brat goes to collect the fallen rings and then slides them back onto correct fingers. He gives the Kids neck a gentle stroke before apologizing with a guilty look. The kid glances away with a soft "it wasn't your fault"

After all the mushy crap is exchanged the brat pulls the kid away towards the door. He sends a particularly nasty look my way, and stills for a second probably wondering whether he should finish me off or not.

Kid catches on and a reverse happens as now it's him pulling brat away telling him softly that it's not worth it and he just wants to go home now.

The brat relents and allows himself to be tugged away, not however before lacing his fingers though the other set hanging close to his own.

Seriously, I don't know what they see in each other, but then again I don't see them though each other's eyes.


	2. Chapter 2: Wedding Rings and Whores

**Title: Wedding Rings and Whores**

**Rating: T  
Genre: Romance/Angst  
Pairing: 80/59 slight R27**

**Setting: Normal!Verse But everyone's around 19.**

**Warnings: Language supplied by Hayato **

I was annoyed, really annoyed. Not that niggling type of annoyance that buzzes at the back of your head every now and then, it also wasn't that slight curl of the stomach where you wanted to sit and stew on something for a while.

No this was that type of annoyance that pooled deep in your stomach and caused you to feel as though you needed to launch something across the room.

He'd done it again, and this time I had caught him red handed at it. That wasn't to say I was spying or anything, not at all. I trust Takeshi; it's just he can sometimes be misled. Plus Haru's a sneaky little bitch, and she's obviously trying to get into Takeshi's pants.

Like hell I'm going to let that happen! So it seems pretty clear to me that I need to supervise my fiancée. (Yes, we're engaged, what of it, and for your information he proposed to me!)

Thus here I am hiding behind a potted plant in the middle of a busy shopping centre.

This had all started a week ago you see. Takashi has been talking to Haru during one of the Vongola's impressive party's. Now this only bothered me because I had made it perfectly clear that I didn't like the girl and only tolerated her for Tsuna's sake.

But whatever, point was my fiancée was in deep conversation with someone I _really_ didn't like and it was bothering me. So naturally I went over there and pulled him away like a jealous child. But I didn't care Takeshi was _mine_ and I was not willing to share him with _anyone_, let alone a _whore_ like her.

But amazingly, despite knowing that I don't like Haru, he still turned round smiling and told her they would talk about it another time.

To this day I still haven't found out what "it" was; although this was mostly because I had been drunk for the remainder of the party and had forgotten to interrogate Takeshi. After all as soon as he had kissed me I had forgotten pretty much everything, considering those light kisses had soon erupted into "other activities"

So the question of what "it" had indeed had remained unanswered. Well until now anyway. It wasn't the last time they had "talked" either.

I'd started catching them having quiet conversations with each other. Then as soon as I entered the room they would abruptly stop talking and all would go quiet. At first I'd sent Takeshi questioning looks, but he'd only enter a staring contest with the ground. It had really hurt, knowing something was going on between them.

But I'd left it and not said anything about it, which was really against my nature. This was the effect Takeshi had on me though. He made me do and say things I normally would _never_ do.

But today I had had enough of keeping my silence, and my well buried curiosity had boiled and spilt over.

So as soon as Takeshi had said he was popping out and had denied me the chance to go with him, I knew automatically something was up.

So I followed him, not like a stalker, but followed him all the same. I had to the right to know what the man I was marrying was up to.

Lawn Head allowed me to borrow his car. There was no way I could get away with going in my car. Takeshi would know it straight away and know I was here. But if on the chance he saw Lawn Heads he wouldn't run away and hide.

So I ended up following him all the way to a posh shopping centre just outside of town, which immediately surprised me. If all he was doing was shopping, why the fuck couldn't I have come. I after all had more of a shopping sense then he did any day.

This was until I saw him meet up with Haru. Fucking _slag_!

This brings me back to where I'm currently hiding behind a potted plant, watching Haru practically _clinging_ on Takeshi's arm; yes _my_ fiancée's arm like she's his girlfriend or something. Which by the way she isn't, because he was fucking _taken _by _me_!

Plus what was pissing me off even more was the fact that Takeshi wasn't doing anything about it. He was willing allowing her to drape herself all over him. He's fucking _engaged_! I should be the only one allowed to do that. Don't you _ever_ tell him I said that though.

But never the less here they were acting like the perfect couple. Wow that stings.

I then watched in pure horror as they walked into a jewellery store across from me. Haru was loudly exclaiming that "this was the one!"

I felt myself frown. Why were they going to a jewellers? What an earth could they possibly need to go there for? No offence but Haru doesn't have the style for such a place.

This called for a closer look.

I ducked away from the plant and raced towards the store and moved quickly to find a new hiding place, eyes glued to the two people I was following (_not_ stalking). I soon found a place to hide, right on the opposite side of the store in the far corner, pretending to be browsing over woman's toe rings of all things.

My eyes flashed back to Takeshi again. He was now standing with Haru in the engagement and wedding rings section. What..?

What the hell were they doing there?

I watched as Haru suddenly pointed out to a couple of sets of wedding rings and the man behind the counter chuckled and pulled them down for them to get a closer look at.

It physically _hurt_ when Takeshi smiled and pulled out the wallet that I had brought him for his 18th birthday last year.

This, this had to be a lie right? There was no way that he and Haru were here shopping for wedding rings together.

Of course it only got worse as Takeshi slipped one of the rings onto Haru's ring finger. She instantly melted into a smile and squealed happily, jumping into Takeshi's arms waling about how "perfect" it was.

I don't think I've ever felt so cold as I watched him hug her back laughing. I was too afraid to watch what would come next, and so I ran. I ran away from the shop with tears blurring my vision as I reached Lawn Head's flashy car and slammed my foot down on the gas.

I had seen enough.

The problem was that when I loved someone, I fucking _loved_ them. This meant I was possessive of them and who they spent their time with. It meant I was greedy and selfish and wanted them all to myself. I didn't want them near anyone else. I was scared that they would leave me like mother had. I didn't want to lose anything ever again. But clearly I had. I had lost Takeshi…

Oh god.

Somewhere along this line of misery I must have swerved the car, from driving so fast and not being able to see through my own tears, and hit something. But it got a little blurry and I don't really remember what happened properly.

I think I may have totalled Lawn Head's car. Oh shit he was going to kill me, if I didn't kill myself first…

When I did eventually wake up I was surrounded by this annoying beeping noise, a dull pain was aching all over and there was lots of white.

I felt myself groan as my still lagging mind began to piece it all together.

A hazy car accident, plus waking up somewhere unfamiliar, plus a dull pain that is clearly dull due to medication… Shit I was on hospital.

_Crap_.

A chuckle replaces the beeping, and I place it instantly. Shamal; oh fucking _joy_!

"Don't laugh at me" I attempt to tell him, but I can hardly find my voice. It's coming out all gritty and it hurts slightly too. I go to move the oxygen mask and rub my eyes.

He's laughing again, despite the earlier warning.

"You've been unconscious for two days Hayato" he tells me, to which I jerk up on the bed and stare at him in horror.

Oh God, Tsuna must had been annoyed. He had only given me a one day leave after all. Obviously not knowing I was off to stalk my fiancée.

Oh yeah, Takeshi. He's probably not even noticed that I'm not there keeping his bed warm; too busy with that whore Haru.

I turn back to Shamal again, this time with a sad eyed look, which I'm sure he takes note of, not that I care I'm past that already.

"Have you told Tsuna where I am?" I ask him, and I really need a cigarette now.

Shamal scratches his head nervously and I know instantly that he hasn't.

"Well when the hospital called me, and told me you had been in an accident, I sort of just rushed down and didn't think about it. I was really worried you know, 'cause this isn't the normal Vongola hospital" he laughs again. "You know I'm surprised you've still got me down as your emergency contact"

I turn away, slightly embarrassed. It's really obvious as to why I haven't changed it. It's because I know that no matter what happens between us Shamal will always drop everything and come and get me. Not that I'd ever tell him that.

"Well you _are_ my Godfather you know, and I'm too scared to have Bianchi down. She'd try and 'nurse' me back to health and kill me in the process"

He looks me over and sighs when he finds whatever he's looking for.

"What happened?" he asks. "You're a careful kid, but I'm sure this is 'cause you don't want to cause any trouble for that boss of yours. I know for a fact you wouldn't speed unless you were being chased by someone trying to kill you"

I say nothing in reply; but apparently he isn't taking my silence as an answer and presses on.

"It's Takeshi isn't it?"

How the _fuck_ can he read me so fucking well! I swear to God I hate him so fucking much. But something inside me breaks and I suddenly feel like I _need_ to tell someone and if that person has to be Shamal then so be it. I can always find a handful of his girlfriends and tell them what he's really doing when he makes up excuses for not seeing them, if he tells someone about me breaking down that is.

"He was shopping for wedding rings with Haru, it would be two days ago now" I tell him mournfully, as my vision drops down to the blanket my fingers have made their residence in.

I can almost see him frowning in confusion.

"So? It's not like he's marrying her. He's engaged to you isn't he?"

My head whips up to him angrily.

"Don't fucking count on it!" I snap. "He fucking proposed to her, I saw him do it!"

Okay so I didn't see him drop down on one knee like he did for me. But what I saw was enough to back my suspicions. After all how many people get engaged to one person and then go around shopping for rings with another person and slip a ring on _their_ finger.

Shamal looks horrified as he gaps at me like I've told him I'm pregnant.

"He did _what_?" he asks me in a mortified tone.

The tears are falling before I can stop them and my heads back staring at the blanket through blurred eyes. Then suddenly I'm telling him everything that's been happening in the past two weeks.

By the time I'm finished I'm telling him that I want to go home, even though it's around 10pm, and pitch black outside.

"You can't stay there when you're in this state Hayato. Come on I'll get you discharged and you can come stay at mine until you're feeling better"

The offer is spoken so sincerely that I don't have the heart to refuse him and hey, maybe it is for the best. Who knows what I'll do if I'm around that idiot for too long.

So not long after my sleeping arrangements were decided I found myself sitting in the front seat of Shamal's flashy car smoking on a much needed cigarette.

Shamal glances at me from the corner of his eyes and I know he wants to say something.

"Do you want to go back to the mansion first?" He asks me. "I know you'll want to tell Tsuna everything's okay" he adds as an afterthought.

A swell of guilt rises in my stomach. I really hope he hasn't been worrying about where I am. I usually always call in every now and then to tell him how things are while I'm away for long periods of time. As I grew up I had begun to mature a lot. I found myself realising that bothering Tsuna all the time wasn't helpful and only stressed him out more. I had also begun to call him by his first name instead, as he had wanted from the start. It was better I found, we were closer now, it was like a gap that had been there before was now mended.

"Yeah…" I reply softy.

We were there an hour later. Shamal didn't come in, only saying he would wait in the car. I didn't question him, if wanted to wait then that was up to him. He probably didn't want a scolding from Reborn if anything. Now that Reborn had got his adult body back he was scarier than ever before.

The mansion was empty when I first stepped in, but I knew even at 11pm Tsuna would be up, and mostly likely to be found in his study pouring over paperwork sent from the 9th. He hadn't yet taken full reins of the family and still had the 9th peering over his shoulder to make sure things were still running smoothly.

I was correct in my assumption of Tsuna being in his study, the light peeking out from under the door gave it away instantly.

He was sitting at his desk, lazily picking away at the paperwork that was sewn around him, looking as though he were about to fall asleep at any given moment. No one would have blamed him if he did either. He glanced up as I made my way in and within an instant was on his feet, his face morphed into a look of shock and then relief.

"Hayato!" he gasped and then broke into a warm smile that reached his eyes. "Where an earth have you been? I've had people looking all over for you! We thought you'd gone and gotten yourself killed or something"

A wave of guilt passed over me. I really hadn't meant to worry him. It was Shamal's fault for not calling him I told myself. Not mine.

"Sorry Tsuna. I didn't mean to worry you. Something sort of cropped up and I ended up having to deal with it. Nothing to worry about of course" I ended up half lying in the end. It wasn't like I wanted to, but for now it was necessary.

"Oh" was all he said and I knew that he was aware I was lying, but as normal he wouldn't press if I wasn't willing to tell. As long as no one got hurt and I came back reasonably unharmed he was willing to let it go.

I watched his eyes then light up, and for some reason a pool of dread consumed me.

"I should call Takeshi. He's been really worr-"

"NO!" I suddenly yelled leaning across the table in an attempt to grab the cell phone he had taken from his pocket out of his hand.

His eyes widened in shock, before lowering his hand slightly sending me a confused look.

"I, erm, I want to tell him myself that I'm home. You know surprise him…" I trailed off meagrely, hoping it would appease him.

"Oh, okay, sure" he shoved the phone back into his pocket and went to sit down again. "Are you sure everything's okay?" he re-asked me again.

His hyper intuition was a real nightmare; he knew straight away when someone was being less than honest. It was likely that he had already seen straight through me.

"Well actually" I began. "Would it be alright if I spent two days over with Shamal? It's just I met up with him in town and we got talking, and I haven't seen him in a while, and you know how persistent he is…"

"Stop talking Hayato" he suddenly said, causing me to whirl round and stare at him. Was he angry?

"I know it's something to do with Takeshi. There's been something up with him for the past few days too. He won't tell me, but I know something's wrong. But sure you can have two days off. Just make sure when you get back that you sort this things out between you. You know I don't like friction between you guys"

"Yes Boss" I say before leaving, unsure of whether I feel better after seeing him or not. I would have to sort things with Takeshi eventually. But it would not be tonight.

Our shared room was down a set of three corridors and not too far from Tsuna's room really, and although people complained about how big the mansion was once you got used to it wasn't so bad. Upon standing at the door I could see the light wasn't on. This meant Takeshi was either asleep or not here. I was hoping for the latter so I wouldn't have to speak to him.

The Gods hated me though. For there he was lounging on the bed without a shirt and showing off that amazing body of his. The urge to go and curl up next to him came over me, but was quickly snuffed out by the memory of what I had seen two days ago.

I made my way over the wardrobe instead and pulled down an overnight bag I hadn't used in a while before I began stuffing a load of clothes into it.

The noise must have woken him because the next thing I knew he was calling out my name.

"Hayato?" he sounded confused and still half asleep. I had to admit it was cute. "Hayato" he called again, no longer was it a question. "Oh God I've been so worried. Where have you been?"

Like hell he had been worried. More than likely he had been decided what flavour wedding cake he and Haru wanted; or who to invite to the joyful occasion. Never the less I didn't answer him again instead keeping quiet and trying to decide whether or not to take anything that held any connection to Takeshi.

"Hayato" he called again shifting on the bed. "Wait, what are you doing?" he then asked sounding a little panicked.

He then tumbled out of bed and came rushing to me as I headed back for the door content I had enough to last me two or three days. He grabbed my arm and turned me towards him.

"Where are you going?" he asked me, giving the overnight bag a harsh look.

I had to grit my teeth to stop myself from punching him. After all in my eyes he had no right to know that anymore. But to pacify him I answered anyway.

"I'm staying with Shamal for a while" I told him shorty, folding my arms away from him.

He stared stupidly at me.

"Why?"

I rolled my eyes beginning to get annoyed. I might as well tell him now and get this stupidity over with so we could all just move on with our lives.

"Stop acting dumb, you know why I'm doing this. The games up Takeshi I already know" All the while I can't look at him.

"No Hayato I don't understand. What do you mean 'game'?" he then says as I turn to glare at him. To be honest he does look confused, like I'm speaking a different language all together.

That's when I explode.

"I saw you with Haru at the fucking jewellery store. You friggin' proposed to her!" I'm seething and literally shaking with fury. In fact if I keep this up I'll be in tears again in no time.

He only stares at me again for a moment before realisation dawns in those beautiful eyes of his. I really shouldn't be thinking about them right now, but I can't help it. Even now I know I still love him.

"I didn't propose to her" he tells me, and he sounds hurt, and I'm trying not to care but I can't help but feel bad. But my anger at him trying to deny it makes me furious again.

"Don't lie to me!" I snarl. "I know what I saw! You put the ring on her finger and then she'd suddenly jumping all over you saying how perfect it is, and you don't even stop her, you just stand there hugging her back and laughing" I yell at him, hands shaking and itching to punch him square in the face and walk out. But I don't, I just stand there feeling so hurt, cut up and close to tears.

God dammit!

"You're wrong!" and then _he's_ yelling. Mouth set in a hard line and eyes flashing with a determined look as he grabs a hold of me and slams me back against the wall.

I go to yell at him and lash out, he must have seen it too because he's gripping my wrist harder and placing himself closer to me so I can't move.

"Listen to me" he then hisses and I find myself falling silent at the command, because I've never heard him so angry before.

"Haru has the same ring size as you" he says as though it all suddenly makes sense. Which it frigging doesn't and what the hell has that got to do with anything anyway?

"She was helping me find a wedding ring for you, because I had said I wanted to surprise you. She told me at the party that you two had the same ring size. Something about you two talking about it after you showed her your engagement ring. She offered to help with it and so that's what you saw. She just gets excited. For God's sake Hayato there's nothing going on between me and her I swear!"

He's crying…

That's all I can think as I stare at him trying to process everything. I suddenly remember talking to Haru about ring sizes the day after me and Takeshi went to get my engagement ring re-sized, because Takeshi had brought the wrong size. Then I remember how she had hugged me and worked herself up into some weird euphoria over the fact that we both had the same ring size. I remember being a little creeped out.

So she really just had been helping? To make sure he brought the right size this time?

I watched him let go of my wrists slowly, he wasn't looking at me. In fact he backed off from me and then just stood there.

"You don't belie me do you?" he then asked. "You really think that I love her? How can you even begin to think that? After I proposed to you and swore that I was going to marry you no matter what"

I glance away. Deep down I know what he's saying is true. He's always proving he loves me. Doing stupid things like waking up beside me with a smile or holding my hand out in public, sitting with me in the library even though he hates being there. It then dawns on me that I'm wrong, very wrong.

"I'm sorry" I whisper, holding my arms and looking to the side. "I over reacted again didn't I?" a humourless chuckle bubbles from me. I always do this. Get angry and overreact an come to the wrong conclusions.

A laugh hits me, but it isn't the same joyful one I'm used to. This one sounds tired and strained. But he comes towards me anyway and holds me, even though this whole mess is my fault.

"You need to learn to listen to other people more, instead of jumping to your own conclusions"

I may not like the fact that he just said that to me, but I guess I need to hear it. He kisses my forehead and then everything seems to be okay again. Because before I know it he's enthusiastically showing me the wedding rings like the argument never even happened.

I glance out the window for a second only to find Shamal isn't even there. It clicks in my mind that he probably knew this was going to happen. I told you he knew me too well.

"What do you think?" I look up toward Takeshi again, breaking my thoughts away from Takeshi to look down into a small satin box, which I take from him.

Inside is a band of silver, shiny and fairly heavy. It has a slight dainty look to it that Takeshi's is lacking. How should I say it… More feminine looking maybe? Not that I mind because I already know that Takeshi sees me as the female in this relationship. Not that I let him get away with calling me 'babe' or anything stupid like that.

I'm smiling before I know it. I can't help it because I love it. So I kiss him to show it. I think I might have shocked him for a minuet because I don't normally initiate kisses. But this situation calls for it. He was thinking about me the whole time, and all I think about was what a bitch Haru was and how Takeshi was cheating on me when he wasn't.

The kiss becomes more heated, but surprisingly Takeshi pulls away and grins down at me before leading me over to our bed. For a minuet I think we're going to have sex. But when he simply pulls me down into his arms and sets the ring on the bedside table I realise that's not the case. I can't say I'm not disappointed. But I have to agree, sleep doesn't sound like a bad idea.

So I drift to sleep with the soft words of "I love so much" being whispered to me. Yeah I really can't help but smile.

The next morning when I go down into the kitchen I find Takeshi stood over the cooker, attempting to make us breakfast.

I smile and walk over to loop my arms around him. I catch the smile on his face as I do. I know he likes it when I attempt to be affectionate.

"Well I could get used to this you know" he tells me.

"And I could get used to you cooking for me 24/7" he tell him back. "If you're really going to marry me you had better keep me in the life I'm accustomed to"

He only laughs and tell me "no promises".

I make my morning coffee, just as Lawn Head walks in yawning. He soon catches sight of me and takes a seat next to me. Clearly he's just got back from his morning run judging by the smell coming off him.

"Hey Hayato, your back to the extreme!" he exclaims loudly pulling me into a one armed hug, thanks to which I nearly spill my coffee.

"Yeah" I murmur, lacking his spirit.

He grins again.

"Oh yeah I forgot to ask, did you being my car back with you. Cause I can't find it…"

Oh _shit_.


	3. Chapter 3: Fangs and Claws

**Title**: Fangs and Claws

**Author****: **Dreamcloud

**Fandom: **Katekyo Hitman Reborn

**Pairing:** 80/59

**Genre:** Romance

**Setting:** Wolf!Vampire!Verse

**Rating:** T for Takeshi

**Word Count: **7,487

**Warnings:** Hayato's potty mouth

**Author's Note(s):** Well I've always wanted to write a wolf vampire fiction so this is the result of that I suppose. 

* * *

Its cold, and I don't think I'm gonna make it any further than this. I can't say I've ever known a vampire to die from the cold before. But I know somewhere between the blood loss, pain and sheer icy feel of my skin that I'm going to die.

The ache for blood may kill me too, there's so much of my own pooling around me, and my body can longer find the strength to regenerate itself to close the wounds.

So here I lay in the middle of an all to familiar woodland feeling sorry for myself and liable to be dead by the time the sun rises. Although that won't kill me either; stupid humans and their messed up theories.

Just as I start to feel my grasp on the world fading (loosing so much blood tends to do that to), a noise hits me and I flinch, curling more into myself in an attempt to look smaller. But it's too late and I recognise that sound all too well. Their coming for me, and fast.

Fucking werewolf's.

You would have thought after ripping me to pieces that they would have had enough. But they must have picked up on my scent after I made my escape and chased it. Sick bastards.

I could try and fake death, but their extra sensitive senses would pick up on the fact that I wasn't.

My muse breaks as something warm and wet touches the side of my cheek and the sudden need to lash out and kill whatever it is comes to mind. But I just don't have the strength.

"It's alive" a husky voice confirms a harsh ishishishi follows; and I immediately identify it as the wolf that ripped through my arm.

"Take it with us, this one's worth a bit" comes another voice, although this one is deep and gruff, and there's no creepy laughter to accompany it.

So suddenly it's appears I have value. Those gits are going to sell me I know it.

You see there's this thing between werewolf's and vampires. To put it bluntly we fucking loath the ground the other species walks on. If we so much as _smell_ the other a fights bound to break out, and won't end until someone's dead.

Vampires tend to stay away because of this and live in impressive towns and cities where only our kind resides. Theses tend to be hidden from humans and far out into the countryside.

Werewolf's on the other hand live within nature. They make their homes within the woodlands and build homes made of wood and other natural resources, like some fucking tree hugging hippies.**  
**

To us this is disgusting, living in the dirt is common, and vampires don't do common. So naturally my kind look down on werewolf's and refuses to acknowledge them as equals.

All accept me that is.

A long time ago I met a werewolf after straying from my family. We had been on a trip to see my Godfather Shamal. I got curious and wandered off into the forest, it was only because I had heard UMA's sometimes made their dwellings close to forests and I wanted to see whether I could find one.

But naturally I wondered too far and found myself lost. So what on earth was a 7 year old (human years) boy to do? I had started crying, loud and heavy.

This was when a boy heard me and jumped from a nearby bush, I would _never_ admit it out loud, but it scared me and made me cry harder.

He had looked my age, young with dark spiky hair and large brown eyes full of curiosity. Rags clothed him and he had smudges of dirt streaked across his face. I hadn't distinguished him as a wolf at first; he had smelt different; in a nice way that I found myself attracted too slightly. Normally wolfs smelt funny to us, they have a like a musky sort of scent that really irritates our noses.

But I knew he was different right from the start.

He laughed when he saw me, which I didn't take kindly too. Who the _hell_ did he think he was, appearing in front of me in such a fashion, caked in the very earth we stood on?

A hand was swiftly shoved into my face and I yelped thinking he was going to attack me. But he didn't.

"You're with those funny smelling people aren't you?" he asked smiling this goofy looking grin, hand still thrust in my face. "Don't worry I'll lead you back to them if you like"

I'd never met such a rude person before in my life. Usually people were afraid to get close to me; I came from quite a noble family after all. My father is a rich business man and is good friends with the vampire lord, Reborn. So people are obviously wary of me and careful not to upset me, lest I throw a tantrum and demand their head be severed from their body.

So it's only normal that I stared back at him in amazement.

"W-who I are you" I demanded, now trying to compose myself and hold back the tears.

"My names Yamamoto Takeshi" he states proudly thumping his chest with a closed fist, still grinning like a buffoon. Japanese I think to myself, taking note of the order in which he said his name.

"Well what are you doing out here?" I ask in disbelief crossing my arms across my chest. Maybe he was like me and had lost his family too.

His reply was a confused blink, before he broke back into that stupid smile.

"I live out here of course!" I was informed enthusiastically.

I felt my own eyes well up in horror. He was a werewolf!

I backed up and soon went tumbling back over a fallen branch, unable to move I simply stared at him.

"You're a werewolf then? But you can't be! You don't smell like one at all!" I cried, not understanding him at all.

He frowned abruptly, eyebrows creasing downward. Was he debating over killing me now that I knew who he was?

"What do you mean I don't smell like one? Humans shouldn't be able to tell…" Realisation dawned in his eyes as he figured it out. "You're a vampire then?" he asked startled by the new development.

How could he have not been able to tell? There again I hadn't known about him either until he had mentioned living in the woods. Humans don't live in the woods after all.

"Y-yes" I reply unsure of what to say, one wrong move and I was dead. My father had forbidden me from bringing along my explosives while on a formal visit. So I had nothing to defend myself with unless I bit him, which would be seen in my kind's eyes to be disgusting and a desperate move on my part. I could even be disowned for doing so.

Again he looks puzzled and folds his arms while thinking.

"But you don't smell like one" he tell me and then smiles again. "In fact you smell really nice" he laughs and rubs the back of his head nervously.

I feel my cheeks heat up. I've never been told that before.

"I-idiot! Don't say things like so easily!" I snap, because really only destined people say that to each other. Destined people being people who are together like my mum and dad. Romantically involved; which we were not.

He only laughs again and this time takes my hand and pulls me up to my feet. I feel better now being as he is no longer looking down on me.

An odd feeling passes over me. It's like I'm underwater floating, my heart swells and once I'm back on my feet I don't want to let go of him. He freezes too and turns to with that same confused look. Maybe he's feeling it to, or maybe he thinks I'm crazy. Either way I don't want him to let go of hand.

He doesn't. In fact he holds my hand all the way back to the edge of the clearing where I first got lost.

"Look over there. That's them isn't it?"

I follow my eyes to where he's pointing and sure enough there's my mother shouting at my father, and my sister standing next to her obviously taking her side of the argument that's taking place.

I smile softly and nod to him. He smiles back and another one of those odd moments passes between us. It breaks as he lets go of my hand and gives a nervous laugh to me.

"Well I better get going" he tells me. "I bet my own family is wondering where I am" he takes a step back and I suddenly find myself reaching for him again out of instinct.

After I do I blink and suddenly wonder why I did. He melts back into that smile that I'm slowly getting used to.

"Hey, what's your name? You never told me" he asks. To which I give an immediate answer.

"Hayato. Hayato Gokudera" I tell him in return.

"Hayato" he grins, and then takes me by surprise when he leans down and kisses my cheek. "I'll come find you again Hayato!" he promises before turning away and bounding off into the woods.

Then I'm left alone, cheeks dusted red as I turn back toward the waiting arms of my worried family.

As promised he did come and find me. I waited in the same place the very next weeks after coming home. Sure enough he came padding towards me with that smile that now made my heart swell.

"I thought I could smell you!" he told me now grinning and pulling me into a hug.

After that we made a promise to see each other every other day. He's never broke that promise to me, except for today.

He never showed up. Instead I was ambushed by these two goons, and now it looks like I'm going to die. That or their going to sell me, it happens sometimes and I'm no stranger to hearing about it.

I make a pained noise as I'm suddenly hurled up, and the guys carrying me laughs slightly as I moan in pain again when he shifts me uncaringly onto his back.

Takeshi carried me around a lot. Like when I got hungry and became weak because of it. I don't really eat that much, I just don't feel the need. But Takeshi is always offering me his blood, he says I might as well since we're together and all…

Yeah that happened somewhere after the first 3 years of knowing each other.

And no, it wasn't like we were sleeping together at the age of 10.

It was really innocent like little kisses on the cheek here and then and gradually it got more passionate and such. Great, now I'm beginning to miss him even more…

But here I am desperate to see him and being carried away by his own people like a sack of dead meat.

They had taken me to a village and I knew it immediately. Takeshi showed me it before… This is where he lives! His uncle rules this settlement, and took over after Takeshi's father died with his mother in a scuffle between a vampire clan. Being as Takeshi wasn't old enough to inherit the pack yet his uncle had taken over until Takeshi was mature enough to handle the responsibility.

Needless to say his uncle was a prick; in my eyes anyway. He treated Takeshi horribly and it made me want to claw his fucking eyes out.

But anyway sure enough I'm being taken into the grandest building the place has to offer.

It's large, square building, made of stone that must have been carved by hand and shaped like one of those human contraptions that's used to make castles from grains of sand.

Candles line the sides of the stone walls as we move along, flicking and creating eerie shadows that dance across the walls, it reminds me of home slightly. Unsurprisingly there's no artwork, statues or signs that someone lives here. Everything is very plain, yet another reason why vampires hate wolfs. Their so fucking uncultured when it comes to the finer arts like paintings and music.

The walls then break off and we're in a large spacious room, a red carpet leading to what looks like a throne in the centre.

I'm then tossed across the floor lying on my side and curling my body round to seek heat from myself. It's not working and I'm desperately in need of feeding. If I go too long without feeding I'll snap and lose my mind, then using the last of my strength I can find I'll go on a man hunt and go for anyone close to me.

So these fuckers better watch their step; and mouths.

A munching sound reverberates off the walls and it becomes apparent that we interrupted someone's lunch. Oh dear. One thing you should know is that you don't interrupt a vampire _or_ werewolf when their feeding. It's a fucking _stupid_ thing to do, and to be honest you've got to have a death wish to do so; that or your just plain crazy.

"Lord Xanxus" one of my oh so lovely captures say, and I watch in amusement as the two werewolf that captured me sink to their knees in a mark of respect.

A grunt reaches me and I turn my head weakly in the general direction it came from.

A tall looking dark haired man is sitting in the throne. A large table next to him full of various meat on silver platters. He's devouring the stuff as though he's only got a few minutes left and wants to get his fill now; mouth moving a mile a minute literally ripping the meat from the bone with his jaw.

See what I mean about getting in the way of food. It's a big fucking no-no.

"We have captured the beast" the larger man who carried me reports.

Beast? Had they seen the abomination in front of them? They have nerve calling me a beast after seeing a sight like that. At least I had manners at the dinner table. How on earth could Takeshi be related to _that_? Don't get me wrong he ate like an animal too, but he had the common courtesy to chew with his mouth close.

Xanxus's head perked up as he was told the news and he smirked watching me with a glint in his eyes.

"Is he chained yet?" he asked pausing from his slaughtering of already dead raw meat.

"No" the blonde haired freak to my left replied, that annoying giggle soon followed again after he spoke.

Xanxus frowned in response and then shook his head with a sigh.

"Go and lock him the fuck up in the dungeons then. After that go bring me my nephew. I think it's time we had a heart to heart don't you?" he had that annoying teasing tone his voice as he watched me in amusement as if enjoying my pain. Then his face took on a cruel look as he turned back to his subordinates. "If he acts unwilling you may inform him of our guest" I caught the smirk he sent me as he spoke the last part.

He knew who I was clearly, even though Takeshi and I had kept everything a secret about us meeting up. I was being used against Takeshi. How had they known about me though, we had been so careful? At least this is what I thought, though it was now clear we hadn't been careful enough.

A sudden loud bang ceased any further conversation, and a smell hit me hard and made me curl inwardly again. It was the smell of fallen rain and freshly cut grass, the scent of the outdoors and fresh air. It rolled over me like a warm light and it felt like I had strength to move again, even though I knew for a fact I didn't.

Takeshi…

"What the hell is going on!" he voice barked from the doorway he had just KO'd and then I heard him gasp. "Hayato?"

That annoying running sound was all around me once more, feet slamming against stone this time. Again I was being picked up off the floor, but more gently this time, as though I was going to break. I wasn't a fucking vase.

His face was in mine watching me closely as I tried to focus in on him, I couldn't though; and it was really beginning to upset me. I had waited too long to see him again. But at least he was here holding me again, even though it was embarrassing in front of so many people, but I found I was too weak to care. He turned away to face his uncle again, I could honestly _feel_ the hatred rolling off him.

"What have you _done_?" he asked darkly growling at the back of his throat as he spoke, (did I mention I love it when he does that?) I could feel his nails digging into to me. Perhaps he was close to changing forms.

He was so beautiful when he changed into a wolf…

Stop daydreaming you fool.

His uncle gave a low laugh, it wasn't meant to be the happy sort neither.

"Stupid boy" he tells Takeshi. "Did you not think that I would find out about this fling that you're participating in with this nightwalker?" he then takes on a harsh glare. "You fool! I will not have you disgracing this family!" he then drops his tone. "Your father may have been soft enough to ignore it, but certainly am not"

Takeshi grips me again as he glares up at his uncle. He's angry no doubt, and I start to wonder how this is going to end. Would Takeshi really fight with his only living relative left over me? I really hope not. I don't want him to end up alone and his clan shun him; which they would if anyone ever found out about us outside this room.

"Don't you dare talk about my father" Takeshi yells at him. "He was a great man and an ever greater ruler!"

The room becomes silent again, no one dares to speak, not with two members of the wolfs royal family at odds; you'd be stupid too. The two of them are locked in some sort of dual, the winner is the one who breaks away eye contact first.

Xanxus then laughs and rises from his seat, clearly finished with his leftover raw meat.

"Alright" he says smirking down at Takeshi with a look of pride in his eyes. "We'll settle this the way we know best"

I blink. What the hell does that mean? Are they gonna fight? I hope to god not. But Takeshi seems to get it and he looks cautious all of a sudden and I really want to know why.

He gives his uncle a level look and nods in agreement.

"Okay" he tells him.

Xanxus shoots another coy look in amusement.

"Good to see that things not made you soft" he remarks and Takeshi growls at him again in warning. "We'll fight here one on one, you already know the rules, first to get the other down and make him stay down wins" That goddamed smirk is back.

Takeshi gently eased me into his arms, being careful not to jolt any of my wounds, and started to move me off to the side where it seemed I'd be safer. I gripped his sleeve as he went to lower me back to the floor.

"What are you even fighting for?" I ask him, it seems pointless. What the hell was he going to gain from fighting Xanxus? Did he really believe that if he won his uncle was going to let us walk free?

He simply smiles one of those infuriating, yet beautiful smiles at me.

"I'm fighting for us of course" he tells me kissing my forehead lovingly, before settling me on the floor up against one of the many stone pillars that line the room. "Just wait here until it's over okay? It's gonna be fine" he laughs petting my hair. "Don't worry"

He walks away and I really want to smack him upside the head and knock some sense into him, but I'm too busy fighting the faint blood that's rushed to my cheeks. I know for a fact that it would be heavier if I hadn't of spilt 3/4's of it over the forest floor.

He faces his uncle directly standing strong and tall, his eyes narrow and fingers curl into fists at his sides.

Xanxus places a hand on his hips and the other speaks for his as his raises it in the air coolly gesturing at nothing in particular.

"So if you win I'll let you off with this error of judgement, I'll have the trash sent back to the scum hole he came from, and to be nice I'll even through in a blood bag to sate him" he glances back up to Takeshi with a slimy look.

Takeshi nods simply and gives him a narrowed look.

"And you won't hurt him anymore then you already have?" he challenges.

Xanxus nods in consent. "No, won't lay a finger on him" he agrees.

Takeshi then drops his chin challengingly.

"And if you win?" he asks bracing himself for the worst.

I watch in horror as the man starts to laugh, head held high, and hands at his stomach holding it as if in pain. Then as soon as it started it stops and his head falls back into line watching Takeshi with a deadly look, eyes gleaming in glee.

"You shouldn't even have to ask me that. I'll destroy him of course. To show you a lesson and to ensure it doesn't happen again I'm going to beat you within an inch of your life too. I have full confidence that I'll win"

My stomach drops, I feel sick and for a moment I realise this is what fear feels like. I don't want to lose him over something this petty. I want to yell out to him and tell him to forge all this and just… Stop.

But I can't even speak. My breath is still ragged and I don't have the strength to regenerate my still weeping wounds.

Even if Takeshi wins I don't think I'm going to make it.

A low growl cuts off my moment of self-pity and I look up to see them both slowly morphing into a more powerful form. Hair starts growing all over their defined bodies, their faces stretching and extending, then their starting to fall forward and by the time they're on all fours the transformation is complete from an to wolf.

Takeshi's always been beautiful in wolf form, just like he is in human form, with his long shaggy black fur and deep brown eyes staring at his uncle in defiance. He's definitely strong enough to defend himself.

But his uncle looks stronger. They both have the same shaggy black fur, but his eyes have a menacing red glow to them. He's the size of two large horses, while Takeshi would only level up to about one maybe slightly taller. He's over all bigger and definitely looks to pack a stronger punch.

He soon proves my point when he goes slamming into Takeshi sending them both slamming into the cold stone floor with a heavy bang. The sheer force of their fall sends shards of stone flying into the air shooting in all directions as Xanxas's minions scramble to evade their fight. Xanxus soon has his powerful jaw sniping at Takeshi's neck as he tries to push back up onto his paws to get his own back; which he eventually does as he places a well-aimed bite at his uncle's leg.

Xanxas reels back in pain which allows Takeshi the time to get himself back up again, and once more it's a duel of who's quicker to attack. That's the problem with Werewolf's, they lack in the speed department, and while they are fast, faster than humans by far, they don't have the cutting edge speed that vampires have. Vampires are born runners and are extremely agile; while werewolf's have the strength and over all weight to snap a large tree in half.

But Takeshi still manages to dodge just in time as his uncle comes at him again intending to make the same move again. He dodges off right and goes to turn just as his uncle goes diving right and sinks his jaw in Takeshi's throat. Takeshi gives a howl of pain and yanks away from him snarling wickedly.

The smelt hits me like a slap to the face and suddenly I'm gripping myself, trying to not

breathe it in; which is a futile move because the scent of Takeshi's draw blood is already heavy in the air. Now I've got my own internal battle on my hands, trying to stop myself from reverting.

When a vampire in my state, beyond the dangerous threshold of blood loss, is on the verge of dying, we have one last resort, reverting. We use the last of our strength and turn into a monstrous beast which would pounce on anything with a pulse in a desperate bid to sate oneself with blood. We forget everyone and everything, even attacking our own mother if we had to. It's not easy to ignore either when one is as far gone as I have. The need for blood is like a humans need to breath, you can't physically ignore it.

But If I don't I'm going to literally kill Takeshi…

At some point Xanxus must have picked up on my sudden rapid breathing, and the fact I'm not trying to curl up as small as I can and turn myself away from the smell that is now intoxicating me. He seems to be deliberately trying to slash at Takeshi as much as he physically can, just to maim him in some and draw more blood.

"S-stop it" I find myself whispering, as though by saying it their going to instantly stop and all of this will be forgotten. I really must be getting desperate, that or I'm insane.

I watch through half lidded eyes as Takeshi sinks down his paws and leaps back at Xanxas nailing him in the front and sending him flying onto his back. He scrambles on him and presses a heavy paw to his neck effectively pinning him down. Xanxus lets out a frustrated noise at the back of his throat and goes to snap at Takeshi's paw, but fails as Takeshi bites his neck and tears at him.

More fucking blood goes flying and something inside me snaps. I can't take it anymore and the ragged breathing stops as I take a sudden gasp of air in and my eyes delicate. My body suddenly drops to side as all strength leaves me and begins to gather itself within me.

Oh shit.

"Oi!" Someone yells off to right. "That kid, I think he's dead!"

Sounds of scratching claws skitter around me, and I think Takeshi and his uncle may have heard whoever it was announcing my condition. But it really doesn't matter right now as I start to lose my grip on reality, my fingers curl into small fist and energy abruptly shoots through my being…

**Line Break**

I hear a shout over the growling of my uncle and listen if only for a moment. The words "kid" and "dead" ring in my ears and I immediately associate them with Hayato. My head whips round and wide eyes land where I left him. He's lying on his side eyes half lidded and lips parted, and from the look of it he's no longer breathing, (not that he really needs to, but it must be something to do with the fact that vampires are simply more highly evolved versions of humans, and breath on instinct).

Either way it sends my mind into a state of panic and launch myself off of my uncle and go flying towards him and halfway merging back to my human form shouting his name. Just as I reach him my uncle's voice hits me.

"Don't touch him Takeshi!" he yells and I whirl round to face him glaring.

"Shut up!" I snarl, he had no right to tell me what to do after all he's put me through.

He rolls his eyes at me, clicks his tongue and folds his arms across his chest in one fluid movement.

"For saying you supposedly love him, you don't know much about his kind do you?" he questions arrogantly.

I grit my teeth and send him a harsh look.

"He's reverting" he then tells me like it means something to me. I watch his eyes dart behind me to Hayato. "And by the looks of it it's not going to be pretty. Should of got him some blood when he got here really, I just didn't think he was that far gone…" he trails off and looks thoughtful.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I find myself shouting in frustration, eyes narrowing and fists curling again, trying to stop myself from merging back into wolf form and ripping him to pieces.

"Reverting" he repeats rolling his eyes once more at my display of anger. "When a vampire loses too much blood and they become desperate they go into what's called a "Revert" state and gather what strength they have left, lose their mind and attack any living thing they can find in an attempt to replenish their blood supply and heal themselves. Fucking disgusting really" he comments drawing up a cigarette from nowhere and lighting it up.

I stare in horror at him as it begins to sink in and look back at Hayato. His eyes start to lose that glossy sheen and turn a dull silver. He looks dead he really does. I kneel before him and gently move a hand to his hair.

"I wouldn't bother Takeshi, in a minuet he's not even going to recall who you are. So if you don't want to become bat food I suggest you move the fuck out the way while I try to find something for him to feed off"

I go to answer him, but a sudden sharp intake of breath has me back staring at Hayato as his eyes go wide, yet still blank and his chest heaves like he's been underwater to long. Then he's moving to his feet dragging himself up to full height. I move with him cautiously in case he attacks.

"Hayato" I call softly reaching one hand out towards him.

He only looks blankly at me hardly even focusing on my now. I watch as his eyes then move to my arm and stare. I follow his gaze and glance down at my right arm and find what he's staring so intently at. A large gash is decorating my arm blood seeping through the material of my shirt and trickling down my arm.

Ah, I can suddenly see why he's interested. My arms falls away and I try my best to smile.

"Do you wa-"

I never finished the sentence as he came flying at me with inhumane speed, and I found myself being ripped back away from him in an instant. Turning to the side I watch as he rushed past me and come to an abrupt stop spinning round to face me again ready to attack. It strikes me that it was my uncle who had dragged me out of the way, as he leans down to me growling in my ear.

"Fucking piece of shit! I told you he don't know who the fuck you are! Currently he doesn't give a shit about you or who you are to him! He _will_ rip you to fucking pieces if he has to Takeshi!" He's shouting at me and I think this is way of worrying over me.

He then turns to take a look at my currently psycho boyfriend, who watching us with interest his head cocked to the side in a way I find completely adorable and yet scary of hell considering he just tried to sever my head from my body.

But my minds ripped from thoughts as Hayato comes at us again with that amazing speed of his and throws out an arm at me in an attempt to grab me. But Xanxus is dragging me out the way again and takes off running toward the door for cover.

Unfortunately we don't make it. I feel something pull me back and find Hayato has snagged the hem of my jacket and is now yanking me at full force from my uncle's hold. He throws me backward behind him like a rag doll and turns full on to face my uncle.

My uncle simply smirks after getting over what had just transpired, and crosses his arms once more looking slightly impressed.

"You're stronger than I gave you credit for" it has to be the first time I've ever heard him compliment a vampire before. "Now whose blood are you after here?" he asks, but never gets the chance to continue as Hayato goes racing at him and rams a fist into his lower stomach, sending him reeling back and I watch in horror as a trail of blood leave his mouth. He lands hard on the floor and makes a gurgled sound rolling onto his back.

Hayato doesn't react at all and I know under normal circumstances he'd never do something so… violent. He may be a bit feisty and at times come across a cruel person, but I know he'd never go out of his way to cause deliberate pain to someone on that scale. But it appears we're _clearly_ not under normal circumstances.

I flinch back as he turns on me and vaguely wonder whether he's about the kick the ever loving daylights out of me. But he simply stares at me again for a moment, watching me with those unnatural silver eyes of his. It doesn't last very long and the moments quickly over.

I go to move away but he has me pinned quickly and my back meets the floor on a harsh collision of bone against stone. His hand pushes down on my chest keeping me firmly in place and effectively squeezing the air out of my lungs making me choke. Hayayto may be blessed with the ability of not having to breathe, but I however am not that lucky.

I realise pretty quick there's not way I'm going to be able to get away. I could if I wanted to but that would mean causing Hayato pain, which I won't do under _any_ circumstances, not even to save my own life. I sigh despite myself and smile up at him cheerfully. I can't really deny him something he needs after all, and suddenly I wonder why the hell I was running away anyway. I don't want him to die and if I can prevent it then I will, no matter the cost.

He's watching me again, and I wonder whether he's trying to hold himself back and subsequently having an internal battle. I move my hand up to his cheek slowly, trying not to startle him, and smile as I catch that confused look flicker across in his eyes.

"Oi! Takeshi!" I hear Xanxas yells from behind me sitting on his knees grasping his stomach giving me a weary look. "If you can distract him long enough, he might pass out and die from blood loss and you can leg it, he won't last much longer in revert state" he tells me smugly with a hint of a smile touching his lips sadistically.

My heart drops and I send a sharp glare his way, I don't want that to happen, and he has no right to even suggest I'd go along with the idea. I glance back at Hayato, who's yet to kill me, only to find him looking at me curiously again.

Shit I really don't want him to die. I had nothing before I found him and I don't want to be alone again.

I know that either way he's got to have my blood. It shouldn't mater anyway really. I love him, and that's how it works right? When a vampire bites someone it's something intimate and Hayato once told me that biting is on the same level as sex in the vampire world; it's something that's done in private and means something special.

Besides he only needs enough to sate him and heal his wounds, so hopefully he'll come to his senses and not kill me. At least I hope.

Slowly I pull him down to me and push myself up so I'm sitting normally again. He's now leaning silently against me and with his head on my shoulder, as I trail my lips to his ear cautiously so as not to panic him and goad him into attacking me.

"You can have my blood if you need it you know" I tell him softly murmuring low. "You need it don't you, why is why you reverted in the first place" I laugh. "You really scared me there for second, I thought you had died. It made me realise that I really don't want that to happen, so if you ever need blood you only have to tell me and you can have mine…" I trail off as I bring him to my neck allowing his lips to rest there as to coax him into biting me. "It's okay"

For a moment he doesn't move and goes extremely stiff in my arms, as if some part of him knows who I am and is freaking out. I take note that he's shaking and sigh. He really won't bite me unless forced. A glance down at my arm tells me that I could easily reopen the wound there; which with a swift pull of the skin I manage.

The reaction is instantaneous from him and he hisses though his teeth as if I've physically slapped him.

Two sharp points are then at my neck resting there like a warning. I smile and ease him closer which pushes those two needles directly into my neck.

Oddly enough it doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would initially. It fact I was bracing myself for something ten time worse. I bury my face in his hair as he gasps at my neck as though suddenly breaking though the surface of water. He must have realised what was happening as he shoots away from me to stare at me falling back onto his knees a crimson streak of blood dripping from his bottom lip. I learn in and lick it away and he closes one eye as I do.

"Are you feeling better now?" I ask him, to which he doesn't respond only staring at me like I've grown two heads from my arms.

We sit and stare at each other and he suddenly look like he's going to cry.

"You idiot" he whispers folding his arms around himself in self-defence and looks away from me in shame.

"But I saved you" I tell him smiling brightly and tugging him back to me. "I didn't want you to die, so I did the only thing I could"

He clutches at my shirt and squeezes close, which I'm not about to complain over.

"It's embarrassing though…" he murmurs against my chest and I laugh. He really shouldn't be worried about that.

"Oi trash!" once again that voice is yelling at me as I turn and hold Hayato closer. He's going to kill, I think to myself. Not only did I go against his order, but I practically, in vampire terms, just shared a moment close to sex with Hayato. Which in my uncles eyes is probably a _big_ no-no, especially in his best room.

He's up on his feet barely standing, due to Hayato's attack on him, and I take note of the way he's holding his stomach with one arm as he watches us closely; cautiously as though worried Hayato might go from round two.

"Moron" he tells me gruffly. "Clearly nothing I say is going to change the way you fell is it?" he asks and I shake my head in return. "Hm" he replies and then looks away from us. "Well you had better clear this mess up you've made and keep this little fling out of sight" it's a warning I know, but it's as close a blessing as I'm ever going to get. He takes one last look as us before stalking off towards the door I desecrated upon my initial arrival, and then most likely will head to his bed chambers to sulk.

I go to yell something but he cuts me off pivoting on foot at the threshold of the door and glares at Hayato all of a sudden.

"If you see that freak Squalo tell him I'll be waiting in the usual place, and that if he don't show I'll kill him"

And with that he really does go stalking off down the hall.

"Superbi Squalo?" Hayato asks softly watching him leave in wonder.

"Who's that?" I ask him watching his face crinkle slightly in a way that looks so cute.

He glances up at me and then back to where my uncle stalked off moments before.

"He's one of the knights that serve the royal family, you know one of Reborn's lot" his eyes then start to close and he looks drained again. "I wonder how he knows him…"he says softly trailing off in thought.

"Well it doesn't matter" I tell him softly with a smile. "What matters is getting you back home safe; I think we've had enough fun for one day. Unless you want to get all the fighting over with today and go and take me to meet your parents"

He snorts at me in amusement and goes to stand back up again, running a hand through his hair.

"My mother would adore you I'm sure, it's my father you'd have to worry about I think" he tells me as I get up to follow him down the hall and back into the village.

"Really I thought your sister would be the worst, she's quite protective isn't she?" I ask smiling as he grimaces and his face takes on a slight green tinge at the mention is his sister.

"Just don't eat anything she gives you. That's my advice if you want to survive though dinner" he tell me taking my hand in his as I lead him through the village getting some odds looks from the townsfolk. I only smile to them and they quickly look away.

"Are you really okay with this?" he then asks as we make out way towards the edge of the forest where I first met him all those years ago.

It doesn't take me long to think about that I can't imagine my life without him now. I'd sure as hell be lonely and everything would be dull again. Who knows maybe I'd still even be mourning over the loss of my parents still.

"Of course I am. I don't know what id's do without you" I'm hugging him pulling him as close as I can physically can. I mean It too, and I just hope he knows that.

We pull apart and smile as I go to kiss him. Watching as he looks at me expectantly, just waiting for me to make the first move.

"Oh my so this is where you've been hiding Hayato"

I pause and look up over Hayato to see a well-dressed lady with long maroon hair watching the two of us with her head resting against her hand.

"Hanging around with a Werewolf of all creatures" she continues and I blink in confusion as to who she is. Hayato on the other hand seems to be more well informed than me and goes a worrying shade of white, and starts to shake slightly.

"Bianchi!" he gasps "What the hell are you doing here?"

Bianchi…

Oh shit, this is his sister right?


	4. Chapter 4: Coffee and Cigarettes

**Title****: **Coffee and Cigarettes**  
****Author****: **DreamCloud704 **  
****Fandom****: **Katekyo Hitman Reborn**  
****Pairing****: **80/59

**Setting: **Normal Time line. Shortly after coming back from the future  
**Word Count****: **2,081**  
****Summary****: **Hayato had a routine just for coffee, which under no condition could be broken.

**Author's Note(s)****: **Based off something I've read somewhere before about Hayato need for coffee.

* * *

I started noticing odd things about my silver haired boyfriend, especially his love for a certain caffeinated beverage.

Coffee.

Hayato couldn't live without it. Whenever he stays over mine, which was becoming more and more frequent, I always had to make sure we were fully stocked up on coffee. He wouldn't have just any sort of coffee though; it had to be the fairly expansive kind with a fancy label. He'd know if it wasn't designer, and so whenever my dad went to do the shopping and stock on up things I'd always have to remind him to pick up an extra bag, because God knows Hayato gets though a lot of coffee.

But as I was saying he had started staying over at my house more and more frequently instead of going back to his own place for the night. In fact I'm sure he now has a spare set of clothes round at mine just in case.

Usually the first thing he did in the morning after getting up, washing and dressing himself was to make himself a cup of steaming hot black coffee. Yep black coffee, no milk, no sugar.

I did once try it to see what it tasted like; needless to say I never touched the stuff again. I much preferred to have an energy drink or plain glass of water.

But he always looked more human after the first mug full. I don't think he functions very well unless he's had coffee in the morning. I had once purposefully made sure we didn't have any in stock to see what he would do without it; I won't be making that mistake again.

It wasn't the fact that he nearly killed me by shooting a blunt knife he had been using my way. It never really fazed me much anymore when he became angry enough to commit murder. No it was the fact that he was so dysfunctional without the stuff that he had nearly walked in front of a bus on the way to school. This alone scared me into buying two large bags full of the stuff on the way home, just to make sure he had enough to last him 3 months.

So anyway after ensuring that there was at least one mug full of caffeine inside him he usually followed this with a slice of buttered toast and a cigarette.

Caffeine and nicotine, two things that were essential to make sure that Hayato was awake and happy, in that order.

Caffeine ensured that he was aware of his surroundings and wouldn't wander blindly into the road and nicotine ensured that he was in a semi decent mood, and was calm enough to suffer through Ryohei's loud shouts of enthusiasm.

Although there had been many arguments over his bad smoking habits, and as horrible as it was to say, I don't think the fact that he could end up with cancer seemed to faze Hayato much. If it did then it didn't do much to put him off inhaling them in every day. But I suppose it was because I was so much of a "health freak" as he so kindly puts it. I had never tried them and I wasn't about to either.

But anyway, I suppose I love him the way he is and shouldn't try to change that bad habit no matter how bad it is for him.

So by the time we're ready to go and pick Tsuna up and head to school Hayato had already got yet another cancer stick on the go. If he's not going to give them up, he could at least cut down on the amount he has. Not that he's going to listen.

Once we get to Tsuna's house he's usually finished that one and won't touch another. Though I reckon this is because Tsuna is there and he doesn't want him inhaling the poisonous gas that comes with smoking them. Although he doesn't seem to mind me breathing them in, not that I'm jealous.

Around 10 o'clock we get a break from class, and Hayato usually goes down to the cafeteria and grabs a latte from the instant coffee machine. Yet another thing he can't seem to go without, mid-morning coffee, although it's not as serious as his morning coffee, but he seems to get a bad headache if he doesn't have another shot in him again by 11. Of course if he doesn't, as you can imagine, it puts him in a rather sour mood with everyone other than Tsuna. So if I have to I tend to march him down there and get it for him if he starts being difficult, trust me it's better for everyone.

Again this beverage is once again closely followed by a cigarette on the roof, where Tusna is typically already waiting. Though because we're so high up and it's usually quite windy Hayato doesn't seem to mind smoking around Tsuna so much. Tsuna doesn't complain like I do about this habit, mostly because he probably knows Hayato couldn't live without them.

So he leaves him be whilst I make jokes about him being dependent on nicotine, and smile as he gets worked up and starts throwing baseball related insults my way and generally abusing my intelligence level. Although I know it's a way of showing his love in some sort of twisted way. Or maybe he really is being serious when he calls me an idiot and it's not some sort of pet name like I'm hoping. But I've noticed he doesn't say it as harshly as he used to. I hope.

On the days I have baseball practice Hayato tends to watch from the stands and finishes any homework he's got to do, all the while chewing on those familiar cigarettes, looking cute as he crinkles his brow in concentration. I look after him by bringing his coffee from the changing rooms. Which he complains over because it's not as good as the stuff my dad buys him. Honestly my dad spoils him to much. I've learnt to ignore this and ruffle his hair in response, which earns me a well-aimed punch to the shoulder and harsh glare. This then morphs into a look of shock when I kiss his forehead and I have to dodge another punch when he recovers.

Sometimes P. Shitt stops by while stalking him and Hayato ends up hiding in the changing rooms waiting for me to finish up. He's developed a serious fear of the girl and often tells me she's crazy; and I have to admit it's a bit unnerving that she's taken to stalking him everywhere. Maybe this is why he tends to stay over at my place now days or has started to insist that I go over his place twice a week.

I can't help but feel a little grateful towards her if this is the case, because this way I get to spend more time with him.

She seems to agree that he should be abusing his lung as much as he does. She takes it once step further then me though and often steals however many boxes he has on him at the time and refuses to give them back until he promises to drop the habit. It doesn't bother Hayato though because he'll just go over to Shamal's place and rob his supply instead; though he does get annoyed for a while, because we don't get out of school until four. So depending on the time that P. Shitt steals them he'll have to wait a while until he can break into Shamal's house and steal any off him. Thus we we're stuck with a moody and depending on the day violent Hayato.

After my practice is over and I had located Hayato, whether he was hiding the changing rooms or sit sitting in the stands. He'd gather himself together and we'd either locate to his house or mine.

Chances were if we went to his house we'd be having cup noodles for dinner, despite Hayato's amazing ability at being able to cook Italian dishes, however he's usually short on money struggling to his rent. Shamel had offered him many a time to help him out financially for a while, but Hayato's pride stopped him from doing so. After eating a poor excuse for a meal we'd then sit watching the discovery channel and fight for the remote, and maybe if I was lucky I could charm Hayato into bed…

But that was only if I was lucky.

Hayato's place was always better for "those" kind of activities because he lived alone and didn't have to worry about other people being there. Unlike me because I lived with my dad and I really didn't want him to hear what we were up to let alone walk in on us in the act. I had of course told my dad that I was gay and in a relationship with Hayato. He had just looked at and nodded and when Hayato had next come over had clamped him on the back and nearly set him flying to floor, and then laughed and told us to be careful. Of cause Hayato had had no idea what he was on about and had immediately turned to me and asked what the hell I had done. But even if he did know I didn't want things to get awkward for him.

So if we did go to mine there would be no heated activities above making out. We'd have sushi in the restaurant and sometimes would help my dad out with things. Then move upstairs to my room, maybe play some video games or sit lying about sneaking kisses off one and other. It was all very sweet, except when Hayato had the need to smoke again.

Like me, my dad wasn't fond of smoking and when he found out Hayato was something akin to a chain smoker, he hit the roof.

Thus poor Hayato had been exposed to a two hour long discussion on smoking and its effects on the mind, body and soul. So after two hours of grim pictures and horror stories from the beyond, Hayato had taken no notice of what had been said and continued to live as he always had done.

In the end my dad had told him if he wanted to smoke then he would have to go outside and do it. Which meant by extension I would have to stand with him until he had a sufficient about of smoke clogging his lungs. Because I didn't want him standing out there on his own for however long it was going to take. Because in one evening Hayato could easily get through about five cigarettes.

Then before actually going to bed he'd likely finish up with a milky cappuccino with chocolate sprinkles on top. Now that one I had tried and it wasn't as bad of black coffee. Definitely not as bitter, it was milkier and had a slight creamy texture. Hayato had said it made he feel sleepy despite it having caffeine in it like any other type of coffee.

With this made and Hayato happy with the consistency of the liquid and the quantity of chocolate sprinkles. I'd lug him upstairs to bed and push him in the direction of my room, where he'd hog the window side of the bed instead of taking the futon on the floor. My dad thought it best we sleep separately but it never ended up that way. Either Hayato would join me on the bed and settle himself into my side or he'd end up on the floor with me depending on who took the bed. But either way we'd end up sharing, which I don't mind its nice waking up with someone next to you, especially if it's the person you'd give your life for without a second thought.

Even as I start drifting off I can smell the scent of coffee and cigarettes in Hayato's hair. But somehow I really don't mind right now, somehow it's sort of comforting…

* * *

So there we have it. The fourth installment of Bad To Worse. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. I hope to be getting another chapter up soon. By the way I shall be taking requests so if anyone has any ideas leave it in a review or feel free to drop me a message.

DreamCloud


	5. Chapter 5 Land of Roses Part 1

**Title****:** Land of Roses**  
****Author****:** Dreamcloud**  
****Fandom****:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn**  
****Pairing****:** 80/59 18/27

**Setting: **A Modern Romeo + Juliet era so yes they do have mobile phones  
**Word Count****: **11,352

**Warnings: **Use of guns, most probable blood and guts scenes**  
****Author's Note(s)****:** So this is loosely based on Romeo and Juliet, so there will be a lot of reference to that.

* * *

"_Two households, both alike in dignity,_

_In fair Japan, where we lay our scene,_

_From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,_

_Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean._

_From forth the fatal loins of these two foes,_

_A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;"_

* * *

The family of Yamamoto were the only family of hitman; they are respected, yet feared. They lead the traditional life, high up in the mountains, away from the vast and bustling city below them full of flashing lights and noise. The sword is their weapon and its secrets are passed down from one generation to the next. They kill without the use of technology instead relying on their instincts and skills alone. The current head of this formidable family is Tsuyoshi Yamamoto. Tsuyoshi has one son, Takeshi Yamamoto, who he hopes to one day leave the family to…

The young Yamamoto has much potential, of which his father can see. He's quick to pick things up and learns best while on the job. His instincts as a hitman are strong and his tutor Squalo has high hopes for him. However, Takeshi has two faults that hold him back…

Takeshi has a love for baseball, and can't see to tear himself away from it, and while his father wants him to be happy; he also wants him to succeed as a hitman. However he refuses to give baseball up and Squalo complains that it might make him soft.

The other problem is that he won't use the sharp side of his blade. This is another thing that Squalo thinks will make him weak.

But the Yamamoto family now have other things to worry about, asides from their unwilling son.

Around the time that Takeshi was born a powerful and very much influential family moved to the area.

The Gokudera family.

Unlike the Yamamoto family they use advanced technology to hunt for their kills and train their hitmen to be proficient with many weapons. The family own a lavish mansion within the city and use this as their main home. They believe strongly in getting hits done fast and without much conflict, even if this means playing using underhanded means, stealing and lying. The head of their family also only has one heir.

Hayato Gokudera.

From a young age he was trained to use dynamite by his tutor Shamal, who also used dynamite as one of his mediums. Hayato then went on to self-teach himself to be proficient in handling a gun after Shamal refused to show him something so dangerous at such a young age. Although he has many skill and most believe he will one day be able to take over the family with little trouble, Hayato's quick temper and bad manners often left him down and make his parents cringe.

Yet one would find it strange that these two boys both from such exceedingly different lifestyles could clash so perfectly.

**LINE BREAK:- **

_Location:__ The Vongola Mansion _

_Time:__ 10:00pm _

The lights were far too bright and the floor so clean one could see their face perfectly in the reflection beaming back up. It was true when people said the Vongola family were flashy people. There was soft music playing from a 5 man band in the corner, and people had gathered in a neat crowd in the middle of the floor and began to sway to the beat in slow circles. I could even see a large away of buffet tables against the back wall and people dressed immaculately in black and white scurrying about to serve people fresh glasses of wine and nibbles on trays of sparkling silver.

But my eyes were searching for something different and a smile tugged my lips as I found it.

A head of brown spikes bounced into my vision suddenly, making their way from person to person a strained smile upon their pale face.

"Yo Tsuna!" I called loudly trying to be heard over the light chatter and soft music.

Tsuna turned to me and as soon as he spotted me and distinguished who I was that confused look marched into a bright smile.

"Ah Takeshi" he greeted. "I'm glad you could make it, I was worried when you didn't come to the wedding, I thought you might be busy"

"Haha, yeah I'm really sorry I didn't come. But I thought I could make up for it by coming to the reception" I told him scratching the back of my neck nervously.

Tsuna only smiled fondly and shook his forest of spikes dismissively adding that slight wave of his hand in.

"No, no, honestly it's fine. Don't worry about it. I know your busy at the moment, I'm just glad you're here now"

I laughed in response and realised that Tsuna must be feeling stressed having to entertain so many people, all of which would want his undivided attention. Tsuna had never been great with big crowds and having to host flashy parties that showcased just how rich his family really was.

My gaze drifted for a moment and landed on a dark haired man surrounded by a host of enquiring people, and I nod my head in his direction.

"Ah Kyoya will be a good match for you though. He's always liked you after all; it must be a dream come true right?"

Tsuna follows my gaze and I watch in amusement as his face lights up red and his eyes slowly soften. Tsuna's got such a soft spot for him after all.

"Yeah, I really like him too and we've known each other for years so it's not awkward I suppose. Plus my dad likes him because of his family being so powerful. You know he wanted me to marry someone like that anyway, so it all worked out in the end"

I went to open my mouth again to say something when another voice cuts me off.

"Hey Tsuna!"

We both turn towards the voice to find a silver haired boy come bolting towards us smiling.

"Hayato?" I hear Tsuna whisper in surprise. "Wow I really didn't expect to see you here" he adds as the boy reaches us.

The newcomer only smiles enthusiastically and hands Tsuna a neatly wrapped parcel to Tsuna.

"Well my dad said I could come if I took Shamal with me" he then frowns ad folds his arms, eyes scanning about for a moment as if looking for someone. "But I left him somewhere near the door. By the way that's to say congratulations from me and the family" he adds nodding towards the parcel again.

Tsuna glances at the package and give a soft thank you to him. I watch as Hayayo gives a look of confusion, as if only realising he's never met me before. Tsuna must have noticed as he breaks into another smile and introduces us.

"AH, Hayato this is Takeshi a good friend of mine" he explains direction a hand to me.

I immediately remember my manners and give a Hayato a friendly smile and slight bow; adding a polite hello.

In return he smiles slightly, and I suddenly feel like grinning, he's much prettier when he smiles. He then extends his hand to mine and I recognise it as a more western way of greeting and take his hand and mine as we shake. I've also found it an odd greeting, but I don't want to offend him.

From the corner of my eye I see Tsuna give a secretive smile, as though he knows something we don't, but let it go in favour of watching Hayato.

"Well I had better get back to Kyoya. I really don't want him biting any of the guests to death" Tsuna tells us and he suddenly disappears into the crowd once more leaving me and Hayato alone.

Hayato takes his hand back and stands awkwardly for a moment, glancing away nervously. I give an equally nervous laugh and watch as his cheeks blossom a faint rosy colour. I take the chance to look around the room again and my eye catches the dancers once more still twirling in endless circles.

Something clicks in my mind and I suddenly really want to dance with this familiar stranger. If he'll let me that is' but I'll test my luck.

"Hey" I call to him, he turns to me and it seems he may have followed my gaze. I stretch out my hand towards hi, much like he had to me before. "Do you want to dance?"

He must have been caught off guard as he blinks a little owlishly at me, but after a moment of contemplation he sighs and give a subtle nod of his head and gives me his hand. I can't help but smile leading him through the throngs of people before setting us just on the outskirts of our fellow dancers.

I set my right hand behind his shoulder blade and the other in his right hand and begin to lead him around the room in a slow waltz. Something tells me he's not impressed when I accidently step on his foot once or twice.

"Haha, sorry I'm not much of a dancer really" I can't help but, hoping maybe this will appease him and he won't think I'm doing it on purpose.

"Why did you ask me to dance then?" he frowns and tries to avoid my misplaced feet again. He's a really good dancer I note and really he puts me to shame easily.

"I'm not sure. I know I just really wanted to dance with is all" I'm being honest too, which I hope he doesn't take the wrong way. To my relief he doesn't seem to either, he just looks a little flustered again; which makes me smile.

"O-oh right. Well thank you I suppose" he mumbles and looks away from me.

"Haha, you're really cute when you get all flustered"

"W-what! I am _not_. Besides who says I'm flustered anyway?" he's getting hyped up and I noticed that it really makes his eyes sparkle, so again I only smile which irritates him more.

"Hayato!" someone yells, abruptly pulling the two of us out of whatever moment we were having. I glance round to try and see who it was and spot a guy standing over by the buffet table watching us with a trained eye.

The slight frown from Hayato doesn't go unnoticed by me and he breaks away from me, and then turns back as though remembering that I'm here again.

"Sorry, but I think I've got to now" he tells me glancing back to the guy again with a moody look.

"Oh okay" I really don't want him to go. "Will I get to see you again?" I ask hopefully.

"Sure, I'll get Tsuna to keep us in touch" he says and takes his lead after he's called again, leaving me standing a little abandoned in the middle of a crowed dance floor.

"VOOOIII!"

I have to physically wince as the noise makes it to my ears. I'd know that voice anywhere. The owner of that voice soon finds me and drags me from the cluster of swirling people towards one of the open verandas.

"Ah Squalo, you found me" I say cheerfully to him hoping he won't punch me in the middle of a party. It doesn't seem to work and he still looks like he wants to rip me to pieces.

"The hell do you think you're doing to useless but of trash! How the _hell_ am I going to explain _that _to your father if he finds out?" he rants at me waving his hands about in dramatic gestures and at one point he's pointing back to where Hayato is just leaving through the front door.

"Urmm…" I blink looking confused because I'm not making any connections here.

He smacks a hand to his face and gives me a long considering look, followed by a weary sigh.

"Do you know who you were just dancing with?" he asks and I know that something wrong from the serious tone he's using.

Had Hayato been someone important? Someone I should have been more respectful and polite with? Was he the son of one of my father's top clients? I had no idea, but clearly Squalo did.

"No" I tell him. "Tsuna introduced us, so I just thought that he was a friend of his. Is he someone important?"

My tutor only gives an annoyed huff ad slams his hand into the balcony.

"And I suppose Tsuna only introduced you on first name terms did he?" now he just sounds angry, and an angry Squalo is not a friendly Squalo.

"Yeah he did, what's the big deal?"

The speed at which he turns on me is quite frightening I suppose, but I'm too busy avoided his fist that just tried to take me out to feel frightened.

"The fucking big deal is that that _kid_ is the Gokudera family's heir, Hayato Gokudera!" he yells at me in frustration.

For a moment I don't properly process what he just said. I'm doing busy gaping at him like a fish. It can't be.

"Yeah, you were just getting cosy with your families biggest enemies heir" Squalo tells me harshly.

But…

But that's not fair! I had just sort of fallen for hi a little, and had been hoping to see him again. But if he really was who Squalo was saying he was then I knew for sure that my chances of seeing him again anywhere other than behind the barrel of a gun were next to none.

**LINE BREAK:- **

"Oi! What's wrong? I was doing fine on my own you know!"

Stupid Shamal was being…

Stupid.

Which I suppose is normal for him. Always bothering me and telling me what to do.

He whirls round to me as we make it to the door to leave; which he's made it clear we're doing (just when I was starting to enjoy myself). Parties aren't normal my thing. But my sister, for one, isn't here to try ad poison me with her god awful cooking.

"Oh you were fine were you?" he asks with a warning tone. "Do you even realise who it was you were just flaunting about with?"

The question takes me aback and I just look at him for a minute. This is why he's so pissed off? Because I was dancing with the wrong person? He moans at me when I do nothing but pester Tsuna and for once I take a chance with someone I may or may not have had a good feeling about and I still get moaned at.

I'm feeling pissed off and so I don't dignify him with an answer, only turn my head away from him to show that I don't have a fucking clue as to what he's on about. He takes the hint and gives me a hard look as though thinking how to phase what he's about to say.

"That was Takeshi Yamamoto"

My eyes fly open wide and I whip my head to him as if to check if he's leading me on. I'm met with a stony look that tells me he's not fucking about. I drop my head down again. That can't be right… But there again I've never met the Yamamoto heir, so I wouldn't be able to point him out in a crowd of people.

But he had seemed so, _normal_. He didn't come across as the son of a hitman at all. There was no serious look on his eyes or hint of a killer aura. Nothing to distinguish he as someone allied with that family at all…

I had really liked him too. He was sort of sweet in an idiotic way. He'd had the manners to ask me to dance, not just drag me out there like a ragdoll like most of my other suitors had.

Why the hell did this have to happen…

"Hayato, the cars here"

**LINE BREAK:- **

_Location:__ The Yamamoto Dojo_

_Time:__ 9:00am _

"Hey did you know the Gokudera family is having a party tomorrow night?"

It's been a week since I got my heart broken in a way. Meeting someone you were attracted to be couldn't be with was a big of downer; and I had been down ever since. Squalo hadn't mentioned it to my father and I knew he was intending to keep it that way. So I had said nothing either. But of course he knew something was up, he always did.

I'm currently taking a break from training with Basil, a boy who was a hitman in training along with me and lived in the student quarters. He'd sort of been adopted by my family when they had found him abounded at a young age. My father saw potential and took a shine to him and he's been here ever since.

"Hmm, they are, are they?" I respond to him, of course I'm interested after all this is Hayato's family we're talking about here. Plus I'm thinking about going.

Unbeknown to Basil I had already known about the party after overhearing my cousin, Xanxus and my dad talking about it earlier in the week. Not that I was about to tell anyone I had. Eavesdropping was highly frowned upon, intentional or not.

However I still wanted to go. If there was even a chance of seeing Hayato again then I was going to take it. The only problem was getting there and not getting caught, by the Gokudera family and my own. I knew I could use Tsuna as an excuse to get out of the house. It would be easy enough to tell my father that I was going to see Tsuna and would be staying late; he would demand I take someone though. Being as I was the next heir to out family it was vital I stayed alive long enough to inherit the family. I could always take Basil though, my father trusted him enough to handle me.

Here lay the next challenge. Basil would not be willing to sneak around behind my father's back. He held a deep respect and loyalty towards him, and while this was a good thing, it wouldn't do any favours for me regarding the current situation. So the only thing I could do was tell him as close to the truth as possible, leaving out the part that I may or may not have feelings towards my father's greatest enemy's son. With this in mind I began to set my half put together plan into action and hoped for the best.

Hey do you want to go?" I started trying to make the question sound as innocent as I could while watching for his reaction, no matter what he had to go along with this.

However he didn't quite take it that way…

He's up on his feet in an instance in shook over the fact that I just suggested the idea, staring at me like I just stabbed him with my blade.

"W-what!" he yells in horror before lowering his voice and glancing about, most likely for Squalo who only just left us for a break. "Are you insane?" he then asks frantically. "Your father would never allow that"

I smile easily and lay back on the wooden floor of the dojo.

"Well we don't have to tell him" I suggest sneakily adding a slight shrug of my shoulders. "I can always tell him we're going to Tsuna's for the evening; he's going to tell me to take someone anyway"

I know this isn't going to be easy to get Basil to go along with me. He's too scared of getting into trouble and disobeying my father. I can understand why though, he feels indebted to my father because he saved him the day he found him.

"But that would be lying!" he hisses sounding aghast. "Plus even if we did and he still found out, we could get in huge trouble" he reasons.

I ignore him and try to act unconcerned, even though I am slightly worried.

I don't really like the idea of lying to my father either. I don't want him worrying about me, or getting angry. But I just feel as if I really need to see Hayato again, even if it's just to find out what he thinks of me knowing who I am. Which I'm assuming that guy told him, being as he was giving me a look of severe hatred and loathing.

"Well I'm going" I conclude "We're going to have to do this whole sneaking around thing sooner or later so why prolong it" I say with a grin.

He gives an exasperated sigh and shakes his head at me.

"Why do you even want to go in the first place?" He enquires curiously.

In response I give a thoughtful hum and sit back up again hanging one arm loosely over a drawn up knee.

"I'm just interested I suppose"

And I really am, just not in what Basil probably thinks.

Another sighs escapes him and this time it's him flopping back against the floor behind us.

"Fine. But not a word to your father okay?"

Inwardly I give a cry of joy and some kind of messed up cheerleader routine. Not that I let this on in any kind of way.

"Plus it's a masquerade, so that should make it easier to go undetected right? We could hide costumes in a bag so as your father doesn't find out and we're set…"

Basil continues to lay out a battle strategy, but I'm too busy trying to calm myself down and wipe the pure look of happiness off my face before Squalo returns and literally smacks it off.

**LINE BREAK:- **

_Location:__ The Gokudera Mansion _

_Time:__ 9:00pm_

It's been a week and one day since that night. I try not to think about what happened. For some reason this annoying sinking feeling overwhelms me and I've yet to completely figure it out.

Mothers been worried, as mother's do, and she been making an annoying habit of charging into my room claiming she checking to make sure I'm still alive. Bianchi, my annoying sister has been following her example; however her methods are slightly more drastic and involve her threatening to shove a mouthful of her god awful cooking down my throat if I refuse to tell her what happened. Unfortunately they know it has something to do with the party, as that is where my sudden mood change stems from.

Since I'm clearly not letting anything on their pestering slid to Shamal who was the one who accompanied me to the reception. Thank god he's not letting anything on either; although this is because he doesn't want word getting back to my father out of fear of being systematically disposed of.

So for now, I hope my secrets safe for prying ears. But this does little to make me feel any better.

I know for sure I'm never going to see Takeshi again…

"Hayato!" a loud shriek sends my jerking my feet, and low and behold my mother appears at my door dolled up as though she's about to step out onto a red carpet somewhere down in Paris. No matter what she wear she always looks beautiful and at her best.

She places a delicate piano playing hand on her hip and shakes her head at me smiling softly, and I watch as it reaches her eyes and they light up with that pretty sort of glow.

"Are you still not ready?" she asks me looking me over before stepping into the room, and lighting it up in with that talent of hers that attracts everyone's attention and holds it.

"I'm not feeling well, so I don't think I'll be attending" I tell her looking away. It's a lie and she probably knows it.

Her eyes fall into a concerned look and I know already that's she won't say anything about the lie and will let me stay here well away from the festivities. This is why I can't bear to look at her, knowing I'm taking advantage of her kindness. Knowing that she will stand before my father as he asks where I am, and spin a white lie to him as to why I'm not there standing with them entertaining.

"I see…" she replies once more. "Well perhaps it's better if you stay here then and not attend"

She then glances me over again and her pretty face contorts into a frown. Her hands move out to take my collar into dainty hands and she fixes my collar down and smooth's it out.

"Honestly" she chuckles. "Hayato, you must learn to properly dress yourself. How on earth do you expect to take of the family looking like you've just got out of bed?"

She then brushes a hand through my hair, hair that is so much like her own and I know I inherited from her, just like most of my looks.

Bianchi and I have different mothers after all. Bianchi's mother died after giving birth to her, so she never really got to meet her other than looking through old pictures that my father kept for her. Everyone says it was a loveless marriage though and my father married her a young age, not really knowing what he was doing. Bianchi doesn't seem to mind though and treats my mother like her own, much as my mother treats her like her own daughter.

My mother then moves away from me and offers one last smile, withdrawing her hands and taking a step back.

"There" she announces. "You look much more presentable now" she tells me. "I'll be down in the ball room if you need anything okay, or you can send one of the maids to fetch me if you don't feel up for coming down" she then bends down to kiss my forehead, leaving e one last offer of comfort and leaves the room soft closing the door behind her.

I'm then left alone with only the old open topped grand piano for company.

**LINE BREAK:- **

_Location:__ The Gokudera Mansion_

_Time:__ 10:00pm_

I've never been to the Gokudera Mansion before, but it's easily as grand as the Vongola estate.

Huge chandeliers hang ominously from the high topped ceilings, golden and all lit by candle. The room decorated with tables on one side for eating and chatting at with plenty of space on the other side for dancing and standing in small groups for the occasional chat. They don't seem to skimp on the food either with not on tables and tables of many fine a cuisine but also have people dotted around offering appetisers and refills of champagne.

It reminds faintly of the Vongola party not a week ago, but this party is spread out over more than one room and everyone's face is hidden by some sort of decorated mask.

But Basil and I fit right in with our own masks and well-dressed attires. At least I hope to whatever God is watching that we do.

My father had brought our well versed lie and let us go on our merry way. I had of course previously called Tsuna and asked him cover for me of my father happened to call or send someone round to hunt for me. But I had made it pretty clear that I wouldn't be back until late and would call for someone to pick me if needed. Tsuna had sounded concerned about what it was I was up to until I had told him just where I was going and had suddenly dropped his worry and laughed softly before agreeing oddly enough. However I wasn't going to press him on it if he was so eager to help.

So far so good; but I was still on my guard.

It was almost too easy to spot the Lord and Lady of the establishment. The current head of the Gokudera family and his wife were perched on the staircase of the manor chatting away quite happily with a few of the guests and generally keeping everyone as happy as they could.

Next I made out the figure of Bianchi, the Poison Scorpion. My family are well acquainted with her supposedly. Squalo had told me some grim tales about how she had taken out team B and C, who had been doing to investigating into a famous hitman called Reborn. Needless to say no-one dared to take the case back up after all.

But now as I look at her, entertaining as if she had born for this sole purpose, she seemed as harmless as the rest of the ocupants of the room.

I was left to re-search the room once more, glancing over everyone else around me, keeping a close eye for that distinctive glossy silver hair. But there appeared to be no sign of him. Technically he should by right have been stood close to his family, so as everyone would be able to associate him as being one of the hosts of the evening. Especially being as this was a masquerade ball.

So where was he?

A sudden thought hit me and I went to move away from Basil, who had been glued to my side since our arrival. However as I did he noticed straight away and grabbed the sleeve of my suite jacket.

"Where are you going now?" he asked me just above a whisper.

"The bathroom" I reply innocently, then letting a coy look fall across my face. "Surely you're not going to accompany me there too?"

His face explodes with colour violently and he firmly shakes his head dropping my sleeve.

"Don't be stupid!" he hisses. "But please hurry up, I've got a bad feeling" he tells me allowing me to leave his side.

My best bet is that Hayato is somewhere else in the house. But if I had any intention of searching the house then I had to loose Basil. He would never agree to me trying to get cosy with the son of the head of the Gokudera family, no matter had close our friendship was. Even Basil had his limits, and I didn't want to push them.

Carefully I began to sneak up the staircase on the opposite side to where the head of the family and his pretty wife were still standing chatting away to fairly important people. They didn't take notice of me as I snuck by and disappeared down the hall, totally unaware that I was currently searching madly for their son.

I honestly had no idea where it was I was going. My plan seemed to have fallen through and I had managed to lose track of where I was going and how to get to where I had come from. I really did have no sense of direction and normally just relied on gut instinct to see me through. But even my instincts seemed to fail me this time.

Although I was smart enough to know that I couldn't really ask for help at this stage of the game. I had wandered too far in and now any of the house staff who found me would probably think I was a thief trying to make a good catch while everyone was preoccupied with the party way back down the halls.

So I ended up carrying on with plan A and kept wandering down the endless halls, most likely walking in circles while trying to find my way back.

That was until I heard the soft sound of a piano playing. It was a sad sounding hymn, played with plenty of high notes, not that I knew much about music.

Curiosity caught me and I was interested to know who was playing such a tune. Slowly, so as not to caught prying, I pushed the door open and peered inside. The room was fairly dark with the curtains pulled across the long windows, and only two lit lights glowing against the walls. A figure was sat at a large open grand piano in the far corner fingers dancing elegantly across the keys.

I had found.

By some miracle or gift from whatever God had taken pity upon me, I had found him.

I didn't voice my entry for a while, simply standing there enjoying the music and view. If he noticed me he didn't voice it either, though something told me he hadn't by the tense look of concentration on his face.

However once he had finished his piece and I began clapping in appreciation, he soon noticed that.

But I had to admit, I hadn't expect him to react so violently…

One minuet he had been sitting quite contently perched on the piano stool and the next he was up on his feet, piano seat overturned and a gun in his hands pointed directly at me.

No I hadn't expected that.

"Woah, wait a minute. Don't shoot" I quickly told him holding both hands up in defeat, hoping to God I didn't yell out too late.

Luckily Lady Luck has taken a shine to me and Hayato doesn't shoot a hole through me. Instead he settles for gaping at me like it's me pointing a gun at me as appose to him aiming one at my chest.

"Takeshi?" he says in wonder, like he doesn't believe I'm standing here in front of him. He gathers himself as I shoot a smile and lower my hands thinking it safe to do so. "What are you doing here?" he then hisses at me. "If anyone finds out you're here then you'll be killed!" he explains feisty.

"So you're happy to see him then?" I ask taking it as a good thing that's he's worrying about me.

He doesn't respond only giving me a heated look and lowers the gun back down with a sigh.

"What are you doing here?" he asks again, with less anger and more curiosity.

To keep him happy and from shoving the gun back in my face I comply and answer his questions.

"I just wanted to see you again" I tell him honestly smiling sincerely. He glances away from a moment and I'm positive he's blushing again.

"So you snuck into your enemy's house just to see me?" he asks facing me again looking surprised.

"You make it sound a terrible thing when you say it like it that!" I tell him laughing slightly at the look of surprise on his face. "Didn't you want to see me again?"

"Yes, but you know who I am don't you?" he says watching me again with a guarded look. I nod my head at him and he continues. "I thought after you found out that you wouldn't want to see me again. After all I'm the son of your father's enemy, so technically that makes us enemies to right?"

I blink for a moment. To be honest I had never even really thought about that before, but that's because I didn't really care for it. Even if Hayato was meant to be my enemy I didn't really care. I liked him and he's never really done anything to e to warrant any sort of hate or enemy status. I'd only just met him a week ago. Wow, things were moving fast.

"I don't really see you as an enemy to be honest" I tell him scratching the back of my head. "I just know I really like you, so I wanted to see you again, even if it meant sneaking in here to do that. Besides aren't we meant to be training to do all this sneaking about? I thought I had better get the training in" I laugh again, and he seems a little more at ease, which in turn makes me feel better.

"I guess so… But even so! It's still a dangerous and stupid idea. What are you going to do if you get caught?" He demands frowning like he's trying to come up with some sort of plan to get us out of this situation.

"I'll deal with that when it happens. I've done well so far relying on my gut instincts haven't I?" I say smiling walking closer to him.

He drops back down onto the piano stool and stares at the keys once more. He'd been playing when I had come in; it had been that sad tune from before…

"Hey, what were you playing before when I came in? it sounded really sad, not that I'd really know, I'm not good with music. My dad tried to get me to play the flute, but I wasn't any good"

He blinks at me for a moment and then looks back to the keys smiling again, tracing his fingers over the keys slowly.

"It was a song my mother taught me. She used to play it to my father when they were younger. He told her it was his favourite song that she played for him. I asked her to teach me a while back, I haven't mastered it yet but it's getting there I suppose"

I smile once more at him. He seemed happy talking about music and the piano. Faintly I wondered whether he'd play for me if I asked him. Something happier though, I wasn't keen on the song he had played before, It sounded like something you were meant to play for a funeral or when you sad.

"Will you play something for me, something happy" I asked him hopefully. Again he looked stunned I had asked but melted into a softer look and nodded, placing his finger back against the keys slowly thinking of something to play.

This tune seemed simpler, much simpler. But it was a happier tune and his fingers were dancing along at the lower end of the piano. I found myself humming along half way through and I caught the sneaky smile on his face at the fact I was. He played it to me for a while before his fingers came to a stop, drawing out one last note and holding it. After it faded into the back ground he looked up at me for my opinion. I could only grin, I hadn't expected him to indulge my request let alone even think about it. But that fact that he had made me grin from ear to ear.

"Teach me?" I asked, not sure what had possessed me to even ask him in the first place. My mouth just tended to voice whatever I was thinking most of the time. But it didn't seem like a bad idea, a way to pass the time and become closer to him maybe.

He laughed and grabbed my hands giving them a look over within his.

"Have you even played before?" He asked me and I shook my head. "Your hands are really rough, I don't think they were made for playing the piano" he tells me still smiling slightly. "But I suppose we could give it a go right?"

He pulls him closer to him and rest my hands over the piano, positioning them where their supposed to go. He then lays his fingers over mine, and I can't help but notice that mine are definitely bigger than his petit ones, his are so smooth as well, whereas mine are rough from handling a sword much and training for long hard hours with Squalo.

"Right, now press down on this key first and then onto this one, after that press those two here together when you press that one there. You got that?" he's explaining to me what to do and I try to remember as I start, He's no longer guiding my hands and letter me go on my own. But he hover close watching me as I try to remember what he said and which keys to press when. I forget for a while, but he only smiles and guides my hands back to where their meant to go, and laughs when I give him an apologetic look.

However he does get a frustrated when I forget for the fourth time…

We decide in the end I shouldn't really take up music and it would be best if I stick to just wielding a sword. Instead he plays me another song and I just sit and listen and watch his own flick across the keys where I had just had my own.

When he eventually stops I take a moment just to watch him, and slowly lean in closer to him brushing a stray lock from his face and then place a kiss against his lips. He doesn't move for a second, probably shocked that I had been so daring.

I'd never kissed anyone before, so I was unsure what to expect. I'd heard it was meant to be this amazing feeling of pure and utter bliss. Fireworks were supposed the go off all around you, and you were supposed to feel like everything was right in the world.

I had to admit it was nothing like that and I wasn't all of sudden on cloud nine. Instead I was still in the dimly lit piano room sat on a fairly uncomfortable piano seat kissing a boy I thought that world of and had only met last week.

But even so I still liked it; especially when Hayato got his act together and kissed me back. He kissed me slowly and unsurely at first but then seemed to find a sort of rhythm and I guessed it was safe to pull him closer without him freaking out on me. He seemed the type that had to be sure of what he doing before giving a little more. But he didn't pull away from me in fact he slid his arms around my neck and pulled _me_ a little closer pressing out bodies together.

Okay so I did feel like I was on cloud nine a little. He obviously felt the same way about me that I did for him. He would have been kissing me otherwise and clearly wanting more if he didn't. It had to be a good thing right?

"Hayato!"

A voice breaks through my musings randomly and I break away from him to glance at the door. Oh God if someone walked in now it wouldn't be pretty. The voice belonged to a man, and it faintly sounded like the guys who had come for Hayato last time when we had been dancing at Tsuna's wedding reception.

Hayato jerks from his dazed look and stares at the door.

"Hayato!" the voice comes again and he jumps from my lap onto his feet.

"Crap!" he curses and turns to me. "It's Shamal! You've got to get out of here or at least hide" he tells me and begins dragging me over to a set of cabinets on the far side of the room. He opens up one of the doors and ushers me inside. I crawl in as he shuts the door behind me and urges me to stay quiet until he can get Shamal to leave.

The door opens just as Hayato shuts one behind me and I suddenly find myself holding my breath for no reason, other than I'm suddenly terrified of getting caught and being killed.

"There you are! I've been looking for you, you little skiver. Thought you could skip out on the party did you? Well you can't hide from me!" I peek through the gap in the door and see that it is indeed the guy who had interrupted me and Hayato dancing at the last party. He sounds drunk from the way his words are slurring together and he pulls Hayato into a one armed hug, much to Hayato's irritation. "Your mum said you weren't feeling to well, What's up still upset cause that guy you liked is a Yamamoto?" the question seems very blunt and to the point and it appears Hayato doesn't take to well to it.

"None of your damn business, your drunk get off me, you stink too!" Hayato tells him shrugging out of his hold and taking a step back to put some distance between them.

This only serves to make Shamal laugh and he takes another step forward peering into Hayato's face inspecting him for something.

"Ah, so it _is_ because of that boy!" he claps he hands together and gives Hayato another drunken smile. "Don't worry we'll find you another guy or girl whatever you fancy!" he tells him making more dramatic hand gestures. "Anyway I only came to check on you and make sure you weren't dead or something. Now that I've made sure I'm off to find some more pretty girls to bed" there's far too much information and Hayato seems to agree as he frowns and makes a face at the eccentric man and his flirtatious ways.

"Ciao!" he then calls as he walks out the room closing to door behind him. Hayato follows and checks to make sure he's really gone before coming back in and closing the door once more with a sigh.

I crawl back out of the dresser and dust myself off with a smile.

"That was a close one eh?" I tell him as he walks back over to me and gently punches my shoulder for no reason.

"Yeah" he murmurs. "I really think you should go now though, I don't want you to get caught"

I only grin again and pull him up on his toes for another surprise kiss, he re-acts quicker this time and kisses me straight back without prompting and I manage to pry his mouth open. He gasps in surprise but submits and lets me do as I please, which is surprising for someone as feisty as him. A mini battle takes place for dominance and it neither of us seems eager to loose. But Hayato begins to waver and with a firm nip of his bottom lip I win and tilt his head back slightly.

But alas, the call for air brings us back down to reality and we break away, with him blushing like a cherry and I begin to wonder if all the blood in his body has gone to his head. A silence falls over us and I move from foot to foot nervously.

"So" he finally says. "When am I going to get to see you again?" he asks folding his arms and looking off to the side. That pride of his is so cute.

I go to answer him but get cut off but a vibration from my pocket. My hand reaches down to retrieve my phone and I stare at a worried message from Basil.

**From: Basil **

**Subject: Where are you? **

**Where are you? Don't you still say in the bathroom, because unless your constipated I don't believe you! **

I have to laugh and Hayato raises an eyebrow at him, and pears over my shoulder to look at what I'm reading, before gasping.

"You brought someone with you?" he asks stupefied.

"Erm, yes?" I say it more of a question scared that he'll blow up on me.

"Idiot! You had better go and find him and makes sure he doesn't get caught either!"

I laugh at him worrying for us and an idea comes to mind as I glance back down at my phone.

"Hey" I ask gaining his attention once more. "Do you have a mobile?"

**LINE BREAK:-**

_Location:__ The Yamamoto Estate_

_Time: __01:00am_

After managing to find Basil and racing out of the mansion, calling for a ride home from Tsuna's house, which we had to walk to from the Gokudera mansion because otherwise our cover story would have failed, I found myself lying back on bed smiling like a fool despite being in trouble from my father for coming back so late. I couldn't believe it! I had not only found Hayato again, but I had kissed him and got his number off him ad given him mine. Lady Luck loved me for sure.

The best thing was that hopefully I would be seeing him again soon! Now we had constant contact there was chance we could make this work in our favour somehow. I had done a lot of texting to Tsuna back and forth and asked him if he could do some more covering for me. He had agreed after a bit of pleading and pressing, and I had managed to get away with not telling why by craftily diverting the conversation a few times.

Things couldn't be going more better!

A sudden buzz from my phone alerts me of an incoming message and I jerk up into a sitting position and yank my phone from the confides of my pocket bringing it up to read.

**From: Dera **

**Subject: You're an idiot**

**Hey did you get home okay? You're not in trouble are you? x **

I can't supress the grin as I see the tiny "x" at the end of the text, and quickly type back a message letting him know I'm okay and not in trouble, even though I am a little. Plans are laid down to meet again next week and I can't wait.

**LINE BREAK:- **

_Location:__ The Gokudera Mansion _

_Time: __05:00pm_

It seems I'm suddenly in a predicament. Somehow I had come to realise that I am love with my family's worst enemy's son, Takeshi Yamamoto.

We'd made an agreement to meet today. However this may be a problem. I cannot leave the mansion without some sort of protection with me. Normally this would be child's play; I would simply demand that Shamal take me wherever it was I wanted to go. However since I was going to be meeting Takeshi I could just simply do that. If Shamal found out what I was up to them he would surely tell my father and it would all be over. Something I sorely did not want to happen.

So I was stuck for what to do. If I simply snuck out the house someone would notice and my family would send mercenaries out the look for me. Again if that happened then Takeshi would most likely be shot as soon as they saw and identified him. This would then cause huge problems between both our families and would most likely end in a blood bath.

So what could I do? I couldn't even use Tsuna as an excuse because someone would have to escort me there too, and if his family saw me then then I would have to stay. I couldn't just sneak off then as they would expect me to be driven back home.

There was only one option left. I'd have to tell Shamal and hope to God that he would tell.

Shamal's room was close to mine being as he was my somewhat tutor and Godfather; though he was awful at playing either role. His door was also always open as well, in case I needed him to take me somewhere or needed him for something. I pocked my head round and found him reading over something at his desk. I rolled my eyes he was probably hiding porn behind that book.

"Oi!" I yelled at him, walking in as though I owned the place, which I kind of did through my father. "I need a favour"

He jumped up and stared at me for a moment, hastily closing the book and sliding it back onto the overhead bookcase, Yeah he had definitely been reading porn before I had walked in.

"Oi!" he yelled back at me. "Don't just walk in peoples room like that Do you have any man-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a disrespectful brat and all that" I said waving him off and sitting on the edge of his bed. "I need a favour"

"So you say" he answers swirling round in his swivel chair to face me. "What's up?" he asks uninterestedly lighting up a cigarette, and suddenly I want one to, and so hold out my hand expectantly. He raised an eyebrow and gives me an irritated click of his tongue before handing me one and his lighter. "I should have never bloody introduced you to these things. Your mom still hasn't forgiven me and your hot sister keeps sending me daggers my way and thinks I'm corrupting you"

"Please refrain from calling sister "hot" it's not a nice mental image" I say scolding him before getting back to situation at hand. "I need you to promise you won't repeat what I'm about to tell you" I say fixing him with a serious look.

He looks taken aback for a minute and gives me a concerned look. Something I don't get often from him, then again I don't ask him questions like what I just did often either.

"Depends what it is" he says frowning and taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Look will you just promise me or not?" I all but order him huffily, glancing away from him and puffing out a stream of smoke.

"You're not doing drugs or have become a harlot have you?" he asked and I blush bright red at such a suggestion.

"No you moron!" I yell back completely flabbergasted. Stupid man! The bloody nerve!

"Oh" he simply says. "Well alright sure I promise, now what's this all about?" he's obviously not bothered now that's he's made sure that it's not what he was thinking. Wasn't he in for a shock?

"You remember at Tsuna's party when I was dancing with that boy?" I ask suddenly nervous. Shamal was a smart guy, he wasn't my tutor for nothing, he'd most likely put all of this together before I even told him the full story.

I can tell the cogs are already turning as I start to tell him. He's sending me a cautious look at the mention of Takeshi. After all he hadn't been happy when he had caught me with him.

"Yeah…" he replies slowly, calculating every move I make an scrutinising it.

"Well I sort of met up him again last week at the party. I hid him the cabinet when you came stumbling in…"

"You what?" he's suddenly on his feet staring down at me and I glance at the floor with narrowed eyes. It wasn't my fault that Takeshi had come and found me again; even though I had done little to discourage him. "Hayato!" he shouting at me now and then lowers his voice to avoid anyone from coming in a panic. "Do you realise who he is? We've been through this and I told you to stay away! Oh my God if you're father finds ou-"

"No!" I shout at him cutting him off from saying anything more. "You just promised me that you wouldn't" I remind him feistily.

He looks at me agape and puts out his cigarette sighing at me as he begins to piece it all together without me having to say anything. We sit in a further 5 more minutes of silence, left alone with our thoughts.

"So you really like him then?" Shamal finally asks me staring down at his crushed cigarette.

"Yes" I tell him softly.

"And I'm not to tell your father is that right? You want me to keep quiet?"

I nod once more getting the feeling that he's trying to make me feel guilty about the while situation. I want to yell something about me not being able to help who I fall in love with. But I know he'll something back about me not being able to properly control my feelings.

"And I suppose you still want to continue seeing him and you want me to help with that as well. Am I right?"

He already bloody knows that he's right! He's just trying to make me feel worse. But if I want his help then it's better to just play along. Fucking bastard!

"Yes. I agreed to meet him today" I say again trying to keep my voice down.

This time he doesn't look shocked. In fact he just sighs like he was expecting me to say that. Which if I know the craft bastard he probably was.

"Alright fine" he agrees. "I'll take you and try to keep this thing quiet and away from your dad okay? But Hayato you've got to promise to be careful. If your dad finds out he'll send Zakuro off on the hunt"

I have to physically hold back a wince as he mentions my psycho cousin. Zakuro is one of our top hitman from the Millefiore branch, as he's as deadly as they come. Once Zakuro has a target he won't let them go until their dead. He's had the most kills out of our entire family and he's my family's greatest weapon, did I mention he's fiercely loyal to my father.

"I know" I tell him. "I get it we've got to be careful" I say. But what the hell can I do? I hate not knowing what to do.

"You've got to be more than careful Hayato. You've got to act like none of this is happening while knowing that it is"

**LINE BREAK:-**

_Location:__ 80/59 Street Restaurant _

_Time:__ 06:45pm_

It's perfect weather outside and I've got every reason in the world to be happy, and enjoy it.

Once again I had managed to mislead my father and the others back home that I was spending the day with some close friends that I got to school with. My father had allowed me to go out unsupervised surprisingly, so this had meant that I hadn't had to go find myself a willing candidate to accompany me.

I had messaged Hayato earlier that morning to let him know where we were meeting and at what time and had wished him luck in managing to escape his crazy family. So far so good right?

I had chosen a pretty secluded restaurant to meet up with him, well away from prying eyes and ears. The reservation had been booked for seven in the evening and hopefully my plan was going to work brilliantly. I sneaked my hand back into my pocket running my finger over the sharp side object lying there.

Just fifteen more minutes and by then hopefully he would be here.

An expensive looking car pulls up on the other side of the road and onlookers are suddenly staring at it in awe. I myself blink and hope to God that it has nothing to do with me. If my father had found out that I wasn't hanging out with friend then I was so dead. For a moment it hovers there and then the door opens and out walks a silver haired angel that I've been waiting to see all week.

All of a sudden my heart won't stop beating at an erratic pace as he spots me and starts to walk over.

**LINE BREAK:- **

_Location:__ 80/59 Street Restaurant _

_Time:__ 06:50pm _

After Shamal finally manages to find this particularly restaurant and slows the car down to what would be considered a normal driving speed he has the nerve to start giving me strict instructions.

"And for Christ's sakes, do not have sex with him!" yes that was one of many odd instructions I was given while on the way here. But I think he's about done with them now, thank God.

I glance out of the window and make out a dark haired figure standing outside the restaurant I'm about to go into. Oh God I think that's him! Shit! Why the hell am I so nervous all of a sudden? I shouldn't be after what had happened the other week.

"Oi Hayato! Are you gonna get out of the car or you gonna sit there gawking at him?"

One day I'm going to commit murder…

Believe me it isn't going to be pretty either.

I fiddle with the handle on the car down and set myself free from the metal death contraption and into civilisation. Shamal learns across the seat and grabs my arms again.

"I'll come pick up eleven okay?" he says and lets me go again.

As I though Takeshi is waiting for me at the entrance and gives me a warm smile that makes me melt a little. He offers a soft "Hey" and plants a kiss at the corner of my lips, before taking my hand and leading me inside.

For saying this place is away from the main road and the bustle of the inner city it sure is nice, and rather packed to. But Takeshi thought ahead and had booked us a nice table in the far corner away from prying eyes and ears of the other dinners. We take out seats and a waiter immediately comes over to place out drink orders.

Takeshi goes for a coke and I order an expensive looking latte from the menu. The waiter bows and leaves us to talk and look over the starters.

"Latte huh?" Takeshi asks me sending a cheeky grin my way.

"Yeah" I respond. "I know it's not the normal thing to go for, but you have to remember I am 3/4's Italian. It's the norm to us"

He laughs and gives me another dashing smile before glancing back the menu again just as out drinks arrive. Once more we're asked if we've decided on what to order. I have to admit I'm still not all too familiar with Japanese food and quickly tell Takeshi to order me whatever he's having. From what I can make out of the conversation he's ordered fried shrimp for starters followed by some sort of noddle dish.

The waiter once again bows and scuttles off again, leaving us alone.

"So did that sound okay?" he asks me and I assume he's referring to the food he just ordered.

"Yeah that's fine. To be honest I'm still not sure on Japanese food. We tend to have European food served in the mansion, so this should be fun" I tell him taking a sip of my drink.

"Really? Wow I've never really had European food before" Takeshi says blinking at me like what I said would be unusual; and for him I guess it must be. "Can you cook any of it?"

"Well yeah" I begin. "I'm pretty good at cooking spaghetti bolognese and simple pasta dishes. But God whatever you do don't try anything that Bianchi's made"

"Haha! What's spaghetti bolognese?" he asks looking confused, and I realise I've forgotten that he's not going to know what I'm on about.

"It's like long noodles with a ragu sauce and you can put red wine in it and vegetables, it just depends how you like it I suppose" I explain watching him listening attentively to what I'm saying.

"Ah I see" and I wonder if he really does or not.

A moment passes again where we're in some sort of comfortable silence and I take that moment to look around and really take in the fact that I'm here without someone breathing down my shoulder to make sure I'm okay. It's… Really nice actually and for once I feel free and can forget for a moment that I'm the son of one of the most influential mafia families. It's weird but I've felt like this before, when I've been with Takeshi, when we were dancing and last week when I was showing him how to play the piano. It's him I realise!

"You know my dad wanted to have a restaurant when he was younger" Takeshi says as our starters arrive at the table and he begins to tuck in, and I follow his example and find to my surprise that fried shrimp isn't so bad.

"Your dad?" I repeat looking shocked, because really the head of the fearsome Yamamoto family wanted to own a restaurant in his younger days. Really?

"Yeah. He was really talented at making sushi and said that he had wanted to own his own sushi bar one day"

I find myself disbelieving what I'm hearing for second, but then I remember I had my own dreams too which I know are never going to come true because of who I am.

"It's sad really because he knew it would never happen because one day he was going to have to take over the family and he couldn't let anything get in the way of that. I think that's why he lets me play baseball still and stay on the team at school. Because he knows how I feel about it"

Again for the millionth time since meeting Takeshi I'm taken aback because I know exactly how he feels. Because we're in the same situation as each other, both having dreams and things we want to do, but being unable to see them through.

"Yeah I say softly, I know how that's feels. I want to have a place of my own one day, somewhere by the sea, and I want a cat, and to be able to just go anywhere I want to go without having to have people following me and having to know where I am all time… I guess I just want to have freedom to make my own decisions"

Takeshi gives me a considering look for a moment just as our waiter comes to take away our food. He looks like he wants to say something, but stops himself before he can.

Our main courses arrive and we eat the rest of dinner in a comfortable silence with the occasional light conversation about nothing in particular. Again I find that I enjoy whatever it is I'm eating, come sort of noodle dish, with this tangy sauce. I skip out on pudding on the fact that I've had my fill and we're escorted to another quiet room with an array of seats and a bar. Takeshi goes to order more drinks and I take a seat in the corner.

Another hour has passed and as I glance back up at the clock I find that I only have ten minutes left until Shamal is due to come and pick me up. The thought makes me frown, because if I'm honest I'm quite happy where I am, But if I don't go and wait now Shamal is bound to come and find me himself out of worry.

Takeshi must have felt my unease as he glances at the clock too.

"Have you got to go soon?" he asks softly sounding as upset as I am.

"Yeah" I reply back. "Shamal said he would come and get me at eleven. So if I don't go and wait for him, he'll come and get me himself"

"Ah" he replies laughing at the thought.

"Hey remember when you said earlier that you wanted to make you own decisions in your life?" he suddenly asks from out of nowhere.

"Yes" I respond faintly remember the conversation from earlier when we had been talking about his dad.

"Do you fancy making one now?"

He doesn't give me chance to respond as he pulls a small box from his trouser pocket and opens it and places it on the table in front of me.

Inside is a small golden ring, no jewels or anything fancy like that. Just a simple golden band, I pick it up and inspect it closely taking it from the box and reading the inscription engraved on the inner section.

The words "_Forever and Always"_ stare back up at me, and I can't breathe nor think.

"I know it's a bit cheesy and all, but will you marry me?"

* * *

I was soooooo desperate to get this up by the end of the night, So I was sat here frantically writing away. But alsa it's finally up. There shall be a part two not to worry. Yes there may be mistakes but not to worry I shall be checking through tomorrow night for any mistakes and changing them so everything makes sense. So if you do spot any feel free to point them out. By the way the sad song Hayato was playing is called "Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven and the happier one is "Ode to Joy"

DreamCloud


	6. Chapter 6: Broken China

**Title****: **Broken china**  
****Author****: **Dreamcloud704**  
****Fandom****: **Katekyo Hitman Reborn**  
****Pairing****:** 80/59

**Summary****:** Hayato and Takeshi get into a fight and Hayato doesn't go to Takeshi's game out of spite. Takeshi then doesn't play as well because he's not there.

**Author's Note(s)****: **This one's a little sad, but hooray for happy endings right? Word in italics are part of the fight and from other conversations.

* * *

Somewhere along the line we had started fighting, and to be honest I'm not even sure why.

It could have been about me supposedly "flirting" with one of the girls who had been congratulating me over the last baseball game. Not that I would ever do that to him.

"_Idiot! Why do you always let them flirt with you like that!"_

It could have been over dinner last night. I had stayed over his house and as normal the food hadn't been what one of a normal diet would call a meal. It had been pot noodles of course, which were all he could afford right now, despite me saying he could come over and eat at the restaurant anytime he wanted.

"_You really need to start eating properly you know"_

It may have been over the fact that he had been in a bad mood last night, due to an argument with Shamal and his rent again, and maybe he had snapped over something stupid like me putting something where I shouldn't of (because seriously he's such a perfectionist).

"_Oi! Stupid baseball idiot!"_

But whatever it had been over we weren't talking now, and I had walked out on him after we had both said and done things we didn't mean. I could take so much from him, but even I had my limits.

"_I don't ever want to see you again! You stupid idiot, get the hell out of my life!"_

"_Not everything revolves around you!" _

"_Get out!" _

"_Fine!" _

I was upset, of course I was. I didn't like fighting with him for real. He knew how to hurt people, especially when he was feeling hurt himself. His walls went up and suddenly he just pretended like he didn't care when he really did. It was like he was pushing me away and at the same time pulling me back. I knew that everything he had said he didn't mean, but that didn't mean that it didn't hurt.

"_I don't need you at all! I was doing fine before I met you! I could easily cope if you weren't here!"_

I couldn't talk though. I had said things to. Things I didn't mean. But he didn't know that.

"_I don't need you either! In fact sometimes I wish I never met you!"_

Maybe at the time I had meant it. Or maybe I was reacting to what he was saying. Like when a pitcher throws a ball too hard and you immediately go to meet it with the same force. It's just a reaction…

Not that he would understand. He's all technical and bases everything off knowledge not what feels right and what doesn't.

"_Who the hell puts that much faith in something that you they can't even see?"_

He's not here.

I don't know why I haven't noticed until now. I'm thinking too hard, which is odd for me, I should be sleeping right now or sending him notes across the table and trying to make him flush crimson; not sitting here wondering where it went wrong last night.

Heh, he'd tell me to watch myself with all this thinking business or I might just hurt myself.

"_Does it hurt to think that much?"_

I miss him.

"_Of course I love you, you idiot!"_

What did Tsuna say? He's not feeling well. It's no wonder, I was pretty mean last night, and I know there was no need to throw that dish at him. I knew for sure when I had left that he had been bleeding. But in my anger I had ignored it the best I could and left, leaving the door swinging on its hinges and thundering down the corridor that lead to his apartment. The neighbours had most likely got the gist of what had happened, and this would only fuel his anger, we had after all not been discreet about the volume of our voices.

"_Shut up you idiot! Do you want everyone to know what's going on?" _

"_Why do you always care about what everyone else thinks about us? Can't you just let that stupid pride of yours go?"_

No wonder he wasn't at school, he was most likely cleaning up the mess I had left him in. Broken plates and china, overturned chairs, food stains on the carpet, blood stains maybe from where I had nailed him with a plate. Did I mention that the fight between us had not just taken place in his kitchen come dining room? It had been an all around the apartment fight and not even the bathroom had escaped our raging war against each other.

God his rent this month was going to be sky high.

I had to apologise, somehow. Once he had cooled down and was willing to let me within 10 feet of him without throwing a bucket load of explosive devices at me.

Tsuna knew something was up, and he knew it had something to do with why he was off school. Damn Tsuna and his hyper intuition. He'd been asking me what was wrong on the way to school and when I had shrugged it off and said I was simply tired, which I was, he had settled on sending me these concerned glances.

Which lead to now.

We were walking down the corridor that lead to the rooftop, where we normally went to hang out during break. I hadn't been thinking about going to see Shamal at the time. But as soon as I saw his door I couldn't help myself.

"Yo Tsuna you go on ahead, I've just got to nip back to the classroom and grab something" I told me grinning and making a move to turn back.

He nodded and headed back down the corridor none the wiser, Reborn following in his shadow.

Once I had made extra sure that he had gone, I snuck back round the corner and knocked on Shamal's door. A grunted "come in" sounded from behind it and I braced myself for the worse. He was sitting in his normal swivel chair, a cigarette hanging from his mouth lazily, and suddenly I had images of _him_ doing the same thing; except the image was a million times sexier.

"Oh it's _you_" was my greeting when he saw me standing there in the doorway looking slightly nervous. "What do you want?"

"I wondering whether you had heard from him" he knew who I was talking about instantly, it didn't take a genius to work it out, and from the look on his face and the way his eyes narrowed I knew there had been contact somewhere.

"Surprisingly well, considering the chaos that took place last night. I found him curled up behind the door nursing a fractured wrist after he called me, if you're wondering"

The guilt settled like a stone in my stomach. Had it been that bad? I knew he had been bleeding, but how hard had I thrown that god damn plate? I could only remember him bringing his left hand up to block the attack…

Wait.

_(smash!)_

Of course it hit his hand and then he had fallen back, out of shock most likely, and landed on it.

Of course, he had had his revenge when he socked me in the face with his right. Yet another reason why Tsuna had been worried. It wasn't normal for me to get into fights, unless they were related to the family. So seeing me come into school wearing a blackened bruised cheek was not a good image; particularly when I was trying to wave it off and say I was fine.

"Is he okay?" Stupid question, but I had to ask.

Apparently Shamal thought so too, because he sent me a rather stupefied look as if I had asked why the sun was shining. I think Shamal's opinion of me had significantly decreased since all of this had come to light. But there again I don't blame him. If I was in his position and my Godson had received a fractured wrist from his boyfriend, I'd probably not hold said boyfriend in high regards either. Even if said boyfriend had been returned the favour.

"Are you stupid? Of course he's not. He had a horrific fight with the person he cares about most and thinks that because of this they've broken up and that that person now hates me. How the hell do you think he's doing?" the whole explanation is said with the mediums of sarcasm and emphasis, it's basically meant to make me feel like crap…

"If I was you, I'd stay the hell away. You've caused enough damage don't you think?"

"_Why don't you just piss off back to Italy?"_

That questions rhetorical and it's meant to close the conversation. But that doesn't stop me from fighting against it.

"But he said he was going to come to the game today" I tell him sounding hopeful.

"Forget it" Shamal replies fixing me with a hard stare and taking a drag of his cigarette again. "I already told him to stay away when he brought it up, and besides do you really think that's a good idea?"

Another rhetorical question that I know the answer to. No, it's not a good idea for him to come. But that doesn't mean I don't want him to come all the same.

"He mentioned it then?" I ask leaning in the doorway now, knowing there a possibility that I'm beat.

"Yeah he did. He was going to call you and apologise, that's how messed up things were. Hah, him apologising to someone who isn't that Sawada kid, it's about the most shocking thing I've ever seen. Whatever the hell you said, you certainly did a number on him"

"_I don't even care what happens to you anymore! Don't come running to me when you really end up killing yourself, because I'm past caring! In fact maybe it's better that way! After all you weren't even meant to be alive in the first place were you? You're an illegitimate child!"_

Yeah. I know _exactly_ what I did. In the heat of the moment I said something I _really_ shouldn't have said no what the circumstances were…

As Shamal said, he doesn't turn out. Not when I'm making my way to the grounds. Not when I'm getting ready for the game. Not when the spectators start taking their seats, Tsuna and gang among the crowd, even Bianchi who now knows he wasn't in school today. Not even when I step out onto the pitch and search the crowd.

He really didn't come.

The whole team knows something's wrong. I didn't join in with the cheers before the game in changing room. I didn't join in with the high fives that were exchanged, or even with the calls of good luck. They know my hearts just not in it today, and maybe it's obvious as to why. Normally he's glued to my side, and it just so happens that I'm as down as hell and it just so happens he's not here.

"_Oi, baseball idiot… Good luck…"_

It's quite obvious we're not going to win. We're getting hammered by the opposing team. I try I really do. But I can't seem to hit the ball right at all. The bat keeps missing by a fraction each time and won't line up right, the angles off and the directions all wrong. My feet won't move and I can't seem to make my hand reach for the ball.

The rest of the team are stuck in horror as my fingers just graze the ball as I go to catch it and call the member of the opposing team out. But at last minuet my fingers go limp and feel numb and it rolls out of my grasp and hit the grass about 10 feet away.

"Wow, what is up with you today?" Mochida, who had recently joined the baseball club, asks looking concerned.

It suddenly dawned on me what was wrong. I didn't _want_ to play well. He wasn't here so what was the point? I didn't have anyone to play well for right?

Wait, what?

Since when had this been about him? When had I suddenly made it about him? Baseball was _my_ passion, what did _he_ have to do with that?

"Hey! Takeshi!"

I glance up to see my father waving madly at me, his arms high up in the air and annoying the other spectators with his antics. He suddenly starts pointing to his side grinning at me. My eyes follow his wild waving and my heart stops, just as another one of my team mates starts to pull me inside for the end of the first half.

Sitting with my father glancing away with a prominent blush on pale cheeks is him! Bundled up in one of those familiar hoodies and jacket thrown over to keep him warm is the person I've been wanting to see all day.

Hayato!

Hayato really did make it! He kept his promise, even though he's most likely so angry at me right now. He still kept his word.

I can't help but grin at my father and give him the thumbs up I know he's wanting. I would have smiled at Hayato too and mouthed the words "thank you". But I know he's embarrassed by my father and it was highly unlikely that he would stop engaging the floor in a glaring contest to look up at anyone.

But either way it didn't matter he had made it, and that's all that really matters.

During the rest of the game I managed to play a hell of a lot better. I shook myself out and joined in with the cheers of my team, much to their amusement. Perhaps they had seen my dad waving around a like a loon and worked out the reason why.

All I could now think about was playing well and not looking like a fool in front of a certain someone. God knows Hayato would tell me if I was.

"_Don't mess up at the one thing you're actually good at!"_

We managed to scrape a win, but just barely and the coach hadn't been impressed by my earlier performance, but even he seemed to know the reason for my sudden turn around, if the casual glances off side were anything to go by.

Tsuna and the gang had come to congratulate me on the win, and Tsuna sent me a cheerful smile realising I was back to normal. Ryohei was beaming from ear to ear, and then had started shouting about how the game had being extremely tense. But I wasn't looking to talk to them (as mean as it probably sounds).

I had still smiled and thanked them before running off to locate the person I really wanted to talk to.

He was still standing with my father, being fawned over by him and having another cup of coffee brought. My father always had a soft spot for Hayato and often treated him to lunch in exchange for a little help in the kitchen from time to time. He made sure he was stocked up on coffee when he stayed over and told me to take good care of him. It was most likely because he worried about him living on his own and being so stick thin.

"Hayato!" I called, my father catching me first, and walking away to give us some space to talk.

I catch the frantic look in Hayato's eyes as he suddenly looks round for my father, who has miraculously disappeared. I don't let him get away though, and with a solid tug of his sleeve pull him towards me into a hug. He struggles and curses me for a moment and I laugh at the foul language leaving his mouth, grinning as he switches to Italian so I can't understand what he's calling me. Though I know it's got to be along the lines of "you stupid baseball freak!"

After he falls silent and just lets me hold me him for a while, I decide it's probably best to tell him now.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean what I said before, not any of it" most of this is mumbles against his neck, so he may or may not have heard it properly. But I'm sure he gets the gist, especially when he returns the hug by winding his arms around my neck and standing up on his toes with a sigh.

"I know. I'm… I'm sorry too. About what I said, I didn't mean it either. You just really pissed me off… Stupid baseball idiot" he doesn't say it to be mean this time though.

He says it because it's just the way he is, and I wouldn't want him any other way…

Broken china and punch to the face included.

* * *

Yet another little chapter there! Very happy with how this turned out in the end. I was going to upload it later but I got all excited and went ahead and uploaded it anyway! Still looking for ideas here if anyone wants to drop any in. Please review and I hope to have another one out soon!

DreamCloud


	7. Chapter 7: Land of Roses Part 2

**Title:** Land of Roses

**Author:** Dreamcloud

**Fandom:** Katekyo Hitman Reborn

**Pairing:** 80/59 18/27

**Setting: **A Modern Romeo + Juliet era so yes they do have mobile phones

**Warnings:** Use of guns, most probable blood and guts scenes and sadly death.

**Author's Note(s):** So this is loosely based on Romeo and Juliet, so there will be a lot of reference to that.

* * *

_Location:__ 80/59 Street Restaurant _

_Time:__ 10:50pm_

In my life not a lot of things had shocked me; mostly because I had been raised around homicidal maniacs all my life. This meant that every other hour someone who lived within our grand mansion would kill another person, sometimes this would be directly in front of me, other times I would walk into the room and find the bloodstain on the carpet. Either way this way of living had taught me to always be on my guard and be aware of what was happening around me at all times.

However it seemed this sense had failed me. At this moment in time I was utterly _floored_. I didn't know what to think do or say. I, Hayato Gokudera, for once, am speechless…

Believe me this does not happen often. But what am I meant to say to that.

He's watching me, waiting for my reaction, a response, anything that would give away what I'm thinking. But the question was still spinning around my head, my brain trying in vain to process what he had actually said and wondering if he was being serious.

"You want to… Marry me?"

It was stupid; I was trying to confirm what I already knew. But he clearly didn't know how dangerous this situation already was. We were playing with fire so to speak, one wrong move, one tiny slip up, and we were both dead. At the same time I didn't want to put him off and push him away. I actually wanted quite the opposite. Honestly don't get me wrong I was truly and utterly happy he had asked me. But…

"Yes" the answer came quick, without hesitation, and spoken with completely honesty. How could I _not_ want to marry him? "I've found a priest who's willing to marry us"

Oh _God_! He's looked into this already, made plans and organised the whole thing. It really was beginning to dawn on me that he was being completely serious about this. He'd gone to the trouble of looking into it before he'd asked me.

How could I say no?

"Okay" I whispered, looking back down at the ring in wonder, a faint smile on my face, and then laughed. "No one else is going to take you after all idiot. I'll marry you"

I don't think there are words to describe how happy he looked. His eyes lit up and he practically flew from his seat to pull me into his arms and wrap me into a bone crushing hug, laughing all the while.

It took me a moment to realise it, but I had caused this reaction. I was the reason for his sudden happiness. It had been _me_ agreeing to marry him that had caused his eyes to light up and that familiar laugh to bubble from his throat… I had never made anyone this happy before, I was sure of it. It was hard to take in for a moment. The fact that I could make someone happy; it had never seemed possible before…

"Really? You mean it? You really mean it?" he had pulled me back to ask, before tugging me back into his arms grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes, yes! God let me go, I can't breathe! Oi you idiot!"

But he didn't listen; he just continued hugging me and being unwilling to let me go. Picking me up and twirling me around, drawing far too much attention to us in the process.

I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life…

**LINE BREAK:- **

_Location:__ 80/59 Street Restaurant_

_Time:__ 11:03pm_

"You're late"

"By like 3 minuets"

"That's 3 minutes of my life I'll never get back again because I was stuck waiting for you"

Seriously? Shut the fuck up.

"So how was dinner?" Shamal then asks me, eyes on the road, like they should be. I don't want to die after what's just happened.

"It was fine thanks" I murmur back, unsure on whether or not to tell him the good news.

After all there was only so much he was going to stand for; and apparently, according to him I was already in too deep.

"It must have if that fancy engagement ring is anything to go by" he suddenly says and instantly my eyes dip down the band of gold resting on my finger lovingly. Takeshi had insisted on me wearing it as I had left. Although he understood I was going to have to take it off when I got home. So he had taken off his own gold chain from round his neck and given it to me to put the ring on when I couldn't wear it on my finger. His reasoning was that he still wanted me to be wearing it in some way.

"Yeah" I say awkwardly, glancing at him from the corner of my eyes, trying to gauge his reaction. I had to tread carefully. "He proposed to me" it's the most simple and blunt was I could have put it, and I had just voiced the obvious, confirmed the answer that he already knew.

"You're so stupid" he tells me, sighing. He's not angry and that's good. "I don't even know what to say to you anymore. You're going to get yourself killed pointlessly. Is that what you want?"

I don't know why, but I feel guilty. I shouldn't really, but Shamal has a way of making me feel like that. So I do what I normally do and hide it with anger. I don't want to let him know I feel bad. I already know I shouldn't be doing this and I don't need him to remind me of that. Yes this could get me killed if anyone found out. But that's not the point is it? The point is I'm doing this because I'm young and foolishly in love with someone I shouldn't be in love with; and because I'm young I don't care!

"Of course I don't!" I yell at him, clenching my fists in a silent protest against him.

"Well how is this going to work?" he then asks, giving me a quick sideways look. Which, by the way, he really shouldn't being doing because hello, next heir to the Gokudera mafia family here, I'm kind of important. Fucking idiot! "Are you just going to run off into the sunset with him? Think about this Hayato! That's not going to work I told you this earlier. Your father will send you cousin after you in a heartbeat if you suddenly go missing"

Oh goody, he's bringing Zakuro up again. He knows that I'm shit scared of him, even though he's not really done much to me to warrant it. But I know what he's capable of, I've seen him in training and it's not pretty. He becomes this sort of mutant human and goes about destroying the whole of the training room, much to my father annoyance. I know full well what will happen if this goes wrong. But I somehow am trying not to care as much as I probably should.

"No, he's going to sort it. I know he will. Everything's going to be fine"

I know Shamal's not convinced. But he says nothing none the less.

**LINE BREAK:- **

_Location:__ The Gokudera Mansion _

_Time:__ 11:30pm _

The room was dark, and set alight by only two glowing candles on the wall. The curtains were closed, cloaking out any light that the evening could offer. The whole room gave off a menacing aura, much like the two current occupants residing there.

"Have you seen Hayato lately?" the man sitting behind the large oak desk inquired, leisurely swirling a glass of wine.

"No, he is currently out again" the other replied from his position leaning against the far wall, arms crossed limply, observing the other.

"I see, and where is my son off to now?" another question filled with curiosity.

"He said he was visiting Tsunayoshi Sawada"

"…Don't you find that odd?"

The other man frowned and gave a considering pause, mulling it over in his head. When no immediate answer was given in response, the other spoke once more offering an explanation.

"Didn't Iemitsu's son recently get married?"

"Yes Hayato was at the wedding reception"

"Isn't it normal for one to be spending time with their partner? If this is the case then he should not be spending his time with Hayato" The other man explained, turning his head slightly too where the other stood and smirked. "Clearly something is up. I want you to find out what it is exactly my son is up to. Do you think you could do that for me?"

The other man came forward and bowed in front of the desk.

"Of course my Lord"

**LINE BREAK:-**

_Location:__ Yamamoto Dojo _

_Time:__ 10:30am _

Everything was sorted. Everything was in place and I had sorted everything out with the priest who was going to be marrying us. The time was set and I had called Hayato to tell him a time. So all I've got to do now is wait. Which was _really_ hard, I just couldn't sit still!

It had been two weeks since I had taken Hayato out to dinner. I've seen him only three times since then. The third time we met up to plan everything out for the wedding. Honestly I had had no idea how demanding Hayato could be, but of course I understood that he only wanted things to be right. He had dragged me round different clothes stores and made us both buy new clothes, forcing me into different suits and looking me over to see if it was right or not.

As soon as I had got back home those same clothes had been stuffed securely under my bed away from prying eyes. There was no way any of my family could see them, they'd likely know straight away something was up. I never wore formal clothes and made it a point to rebel against wearing them by letting my tie hang loose or un-tucking my shirt from the trousers, holding a scruffy roguish sort of look that Squalo hates. But for Hayato I had tried to look charming and submitted to every twirl he made me do so he could scrutinise every angle of me properly.

In the end we had settled on a dark blue shirt for me and a pair of black trousers with matching jacket. Hayato had had the same except he had fallen in love with this burgundy red shirt and had immediately turned to me for my opinion; to which I had told him he looked gorgeous in anything he wore. He had looked a picture standing there in the middle of the aisle holding out a dress shirt, his cheeks matching the colour staring at me with wide sliver eyes.

I was the luckiest guy alive I swear.

I had around three and half hours to wait still and I just _couldn't_. It was hard enough that I couldn't see him all the time and we were limited to texting and sneaky calls last thing at night or in the early hours of the morning. It was amazingly difficult to part from him when we did. Standing there in front of each other unsure what to say and trying to avoid the word "goodbye" scared because it sounded so final; like everything was over.

I really needed to find Squalo and get some last minuet training in…

**LINE BREAK:- **

_Location:__ A church downtown_

_Time:__ 02:00pm _

God I was _so_ nervous! I mean really _really_ nervous. Shamal, as always had agreed to drop me down and such. He had even agreed to be there as a witness considering that Takeshi had no one in on our secret. I sort of felt lucky that I had Shamal. I knew I'd go crazy with guilt otherwise.

I had dressed myself up in the clothes I had brought with Takeshi, sitting twiddling my fingers in the back of the car. We had just pulled up round the back of church, so as no one would see us out in the open. I opened the door and slid out just as Shamal began tugging me towards the back door which was open as Takeshi had said it would be.

Even as I was walking down I knew there was no turning back now, there was no backing out and pretending this had never happened. I'd already had this conversation with myself and debated over if I was making the right decision just last night; which had nearly ended in me talking myself out of it. I had then realised that I couldn't do that to Takeshi, who had never had any doubt that this wasn't going to work out. Never the less I was still worried, but no longer scared, just worried.

The corridor we had walked down lead to the main church where Takeshi was already stood waiting at the altar. He looked ready that was for sure; standing there ever so confidently in his suit grinning at me as he turned. I was quick to join him as Shamal took his seat in the front pew. Takeshi took my hand to join his side smiling down at me excitement brimming in that amber gaze. He squeezed my hand, no doubt sensing my unease, how could he be so calm even now?

I soon found out that he had arranged for us to have a traditional Christian wedding, which I knew was down to the fact that I had mentioned that my family was heavily into going to church and praying. I had once upon a time hated this with an intense passion. However as the years had passed I had slowly, yet unwillingly, come to appreciate religion even though it had never really helped me any; but I had still wanted to marry in a church being as I loved gothic architecture.

The priest wedding us had begun to flip through the pages of his bible to the assigned marked pages and cleared his throat dramatically announcing his start. I fidgeted from side to side nervously, this was it.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"

"Are you sure you want to do this?" a voice whispered in my ear softly, a gentle squeeze of my hand told me Takeshi was talking to me. He appeared to trying his best to not interrupt the ceremony; but seeing as the priest was speaking directly at Shamal, who wasn't in the slightest bit interested in what was happening, the speech was utterly wasted on him.

I know this was what I wanted, I had known for a while. But there was a difference between thinking about doing something and actually doing it; and God was I feeling this difference. I was _not_ backing out though; I was going to see this through, not because I felt obligated, but because I _wanted_ to.

"Don't be an idiot" I told him fiercely, because he should _not_ doubt me. "Of course I'm sure, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't" and it was true, I really wouldn't. He smiled in response and gripped my hand a little tighter, turning back to the priest and seemingly putting all his attention into our vows, which made my heart flutter a little; traitor…

"Do you Yamamoto Takeshi take this man Gokudera Hayato to be your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?"

"I do"

I smiled slightly as he spoke to words to me and not at the priest and I really don't think that I had ever heard words spoken with so much conviction. My attention quickly became diverted forward as the priest turned to me with the same question.

"Do you Gokudera Hayato take this man Yamamoto Takeshi to be your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?"

"I do"

The word fell from my mouth without much thought and I didn't miss the smile directed my way from a certain person beside me, and the intentional squeeze of my hand.

"And now for the exchange of rings"

Rings?

I couldn't remember us buying rings. My eyes glanced to my soon to be husband in a panic. He didn't seem very concerned considering we were currently ringless and the priest was watching us with expecting eyes. But again the idiot appeared to be prepared as he produced from his pocket a small black velvet box and opened it to reveal two bands of gold.

Why was he so perfect?

No, I didn't just think that…

The priest nodded to him as Takeshi handed the box to him and took one of the rings from its confines and held it within his hand, his other interlocked with mine as he faced me.

We exchanged rings and to be honest it all went a little blurred from there. I knew I was speaking, spouting words of love and promises to be faithful, but it flew past me and before I knew it we were being pronounced as lawfully wedded. The priest, once again was speaking to Shamal (who didn't give a crap by the looks of it) telling him we were married in the eyes of law and was ushering us to sign our marital papers.

"Hey, are you alright?" as ever my now faithful husband was worrying over my state of mind.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just can't believe we're actually married, and no one was killed in the process" I tell him while looking down at my wedding finger now adorned with two rings, both glittering up at me.

He laughs, happy as ever and gives my hand one of those reassuring squeezes and kisses the top of my head.

"Don't worry we've still got a long way to go. So don't count out someone dying yet" I frown, really I don't like the sound of that and let him know by shoving him a little as he goes to sign his name on the parchment.

"Don't talk about people dying so easily. It's not going to happen; we're going to make sure of that. Then one day, when things are better between our families, we're going to tell them and they _are_ going to accept it. If on the chance they don't then we're going to re-located to somewhere warm and sunny, with a nice view of the ocean and live out days out in peace away from this death trap" I tell him while going to light up a cigarette, which I really shouldn't be doing in church, but hey I just got married and I don't give a crap.

The priest shows us out with a warm smile, probably feeling he just did something great for society, Takeshi does keep thanking him after all. He warns us to be careful and encourages us to hide the rings while in the company of family and friends. The suggestions makes me remember that I already have a plan in motion for this and I take out the necklace wrapped around my neck and string the wedding ring and engagement ring onto it.

"Good idea, as long as they are kept out of site you should be fine" he concludes before scurrying back inside the confines of the church with a bow, probably to avoid being seen with us and getting into our mess.

"Well then newlyweds, what are you going to do now. The weathers nice and you've just got married, any plans for the honeymoon. Don't tell me you need taking over to Europe on some spare of the moment get away?" Shamal asks practically leering at us, while he too lights up a cigarette, clearly he has more manners then me and knows not to desecrate Gods name and home by smoking in the blessed building.

Takeshi's laugh breaks me from my thoughts as he steps next to me looking happier than I've ever seen him.

"Well I was thinking we've got all day and my families not expecting me back till late. So I was thinking we have some time to spend right?"

He makes a good point so I just and nod and look back to Shamal, because he's got to make up some God awful lie to my family back home; and really I can't see him hanging around us while we go about our business. God I really hope he doesn't stay…

"Alright then, well I'm going to head back to the house and go try and pick me up a lovely lady on the way. What time do you want me to come pick you up? Sometime before midnight would be nice"

Why is he looking at me like I know? I'm not the one who planned all this after all. To be mean I turn my head to Takeshi expectantly, which he doesn't miss as he runs a hand through his head searchingly.

"About 10?" he tells Shamal and I notice it comes out more of question like he's asking permission or something. Which he really shouldn't because Shamal is _not_ the boss of me, _I'm_ the boss of _him_. But 10 sounds good to me, I don't want to arouse any sort of suspicion in my household.

**LINE BREAK:-**

_Location:__ The Gokudera Masion _

_Time:__ 03:30pm _

"You're back early. Did you find something?"

"Yes my Lord. I believed it was urgent" the man stepped away from the shadows and knelt before the desk.

The other man sitting behind the desk frowned and placed down his glass with a soft clink, before folding his hands together below his chin.

"I see. Nothing bad I hope" he then said a look of concern flashing through his sharp eyes.

"Earlier today while trailing your son I came across an odd sight. He was entering a church with that doctor. I watched for a while thinking it was strange and then an hour later he came back out with another boy and the doctor…"

"I see and were you able to identify this boy"

The question hung in the air for a while and the man kneeling frowned slightly as though puzzled.

"That is the reason I came back so quickly. The boy your son left with was none another then Yamamoto Takeshi the son of the current head of the Yamamato family"

The glass that had sat perched atop the desk suddenly went flying violently across the room smashing into the back wall and falling to the carpeted floor in a shower of glass. However the man behind the act merely sat back down rather calmly and took in a breath of air.

"Do you think my son was aware of who he was?" he asked eyes was once again and face set into a stern look.

"Yes. I regret to inform you my Lord but the two are now married"

"They are _what_?"

"Married my Lord. I wasn't so sure at first but after they left I checked within the book that the church keep. It documents all marriages that have taken place within the church and your son's name is written down next to the Yamamato boy's. I believe he was very much aware of who he was marrying"

"I can't believe this! My own son has gone against me and taken our enemies name!" He pounded his fists against the wooden desk and gave another frustrated sigh before standing and turning to look from the window. "When is Shamal due to return?"

"He left them at the church. I assume he should be back shortly"

"Alright. I want you to bring him to me when he arrives. After that you know what to do"

"Yes my Lord"

The man kneeling rose to his and turned to head out of the door

"Oh and try not to make too much of a mess. I don't want anyone alerted Zakuro"

**LINE BREAK:- **

_Location: __Somewhere downtown _

_Time:__ 09:50pm _

"He's still not called yet"

"Don't worry I'm sure he would leave you stranded"

It was the fourth time Hayato had brought it up now. Shamal had yet to ring and Hayato had called him twice himself, but his phone was turned off. Hayato had said that he was most likely in bed with a prostitute, but I was sceptical. But in a way I was glad he wasn't answering because that meant I had more time with Hayato. I was worried though, because it wasn't like I could just turn round and tell Hayato to come with me, because he'd be killed on spot as soon as he stepped through the door. It made me wonder if there were other worlds as people called them. I wondered whether there was a world out there where me and Hayato were together and our families didn't hate each other and we were happy. Maybe my dad owned that sushi shop he had always dreamed of and maybe I was on a baseball team at school….

It would sure be nice…

But back to reality and it just wasn't that simple. I had had a really nice time though. We had been to restaurant and got a bite to eat, Hayato had sworn in Italian at one of the waiters, which had been really funny. We had caught a movie that had been some odd mix between sci-fi and fantasy, Hayato had seemed to enjoy it and had been so transfixed by it that he didn't notice the fact that I had hooked my arm around him halfway through; which had made me happy. After that Hayato had noticed that there was a festival going on in the main centre and had tugged me in the right direction after I had got us lost in a nature park. We ended up with armfuls of prizes because Hayato had gotten addicted to this shooting game, and I had ended up having to pry the gun from his fingers. By that point we had realised that Shamal would be coming for Hayato at any time now and we had started to make out way back. It had then dawned on Hayato that Shamal still hadn't called and wouldn't know where to pick him up from.

"I really hate him sometimes you know. He better have not forgotten about me!"

I laughed and pulled him into my arms kissing the top of his head.

"I bet he hasn't, he might be busy is all, you'll see" I gave his neck a slight kiss which in turn made him shudder. A smirk graced my lips and I trailed a sneaky hand up his shirt making him jerk slightly as he felt it.

"What are you doing you idiot?" he asked attempting to crane his head up to look at me.

"Nothing…" I tell him while moving us behind a wall to shield us more from the crowds of people leaving the festival.

Learning down I get a better look if him, his cheeks are painted that cute red hue, meaning he's really embarrassed. His eyes are watching the floor, like it's more interesting than me, which is a little insulting. My hand trails to his chin and with a light tug I pull his up to look at me before kissing him softly, and then running my tongue along his lips letting him know that I want to take it a little further even if we are in public. He lets me in and I take my time mapping out his mouth and getting a taste of everything he's eaten today. It doesn't surprise me when I come across the taste of ash and something smoky. But it does badly clash with the ice cream I just treated us too. I catch a soft moan come from him and smile into the kiss taking him by the waist and pulling him close. His arms come up to wrap around my neck, and he tilts his head slightly giving me better access for where I want to be.

But it's all over when Hayato's phone suddenly goes off emitting an annoying tune into the air. He breaks away from me and fumbles in his pocket for the demon device pressing it to his ear after accepting the call. His lips are still slightly swollen and he's short on breath but he looks absolutely adorable as I coil him into a hug from behind.

"Hello?" he asks and has clearly not checked the caller ID while in the mist of locating the damn thing. "You git!" he suddenly yells and it doesn't take me long to figure out who's on the other end of the line. I press myself closer to him so as I can hear what's being said.

"_I'm really sorry_" Shamal says on the other end of the line, and I note the nervous laugh he gives after the apology.

Hayato doesn't seem to care though and immediately fly's off the handle at him, really giving him a piece of his mind as he promised to do.

"Do you know how worried I've been, I thought you had forgotten about me!" he yells down the phone, not holding back at all.

"_Look Hayato where are you?_" Shamal then asks and it's worrying how he suddenly gets straight to the point, and how Shamal himself seems worried from the tone of his voice.

"I'm at the north entrance to the park downtown; they've got a festival going on at the minuet. Why what's wrong you sound worried?"

"_Okay, stay where you are I'm going to come fetch you. But make sure that Takeshi isn't there when I come. I think your family thinks something's up and they may be sending something to follow me okay? So make sure he's not about. I don't want anything to kick off_"

Now we're both really worried and Hayato has gone really stiff in my arms, a look of shock planted on his face.

"O-okay. But how do you they know?" he asks in a whisper. "We were really careful"

"_It's going to fine. Don't panic I'll explain later_" The line goes dead and we're left on our once again.

After a moment of silence Hayato pulls back, sliding the phone into his back pocket.

"You better go, before he gets here, he sounded serious about this. I'll call you when I get back okay?" he tells me and all I can do is nod.

"Yeah, I'll see you soon okay?" I tell him drawing him into one last hug and kissing him softly.

I leave him standing there watching me go. But if I don't there's a chance I'll be killed. I round the corner and duck suddenly as a black car pulls round. It could have been any car, but it could have also been one of the Gokudera cars as well; and I really don't want to take the chance.

I've got to walk back by the looks of it, but I don't mind. There's no _way_ in hell Squalo will come and pick me up at this time of the night. He'd rather gut me alive I'm sure. Besides it's a nice night, so I feel I should make the most of it.

I keep walking until I make it to the main plaza where the town hall is; in front of it is the fountain set at the top of a flight of stairs that acts as water feature for the public. I stop abruptly, something's not right…

I can sense something; and whatever it is it's not good.

I leap back curling my body into a summersault and land in a crouched position; eyes catching the sword that's now embedded in the stone walk way. One more second and that could have been impaled in my chest. I look up and about for where the sword came from and just who exactly is trying to end my life.

My eyes land on a figure standing behind the fountain dressed in dark colours carrying a gun in his hand, which was of course pointed in my general direction. He takes a step forward into the light of the town hall and gestured to the sword he had thrown at me with his gun.

"Pick it up. I went through the trouble of supplying you with a weapon you were comfortable with"

My eyes widened. So if he knew my main weapon of choice was sword he had to know who I was. This meant he hadn't just spotted me and randomly decided to pick a fight. No this guy had done his research and had sort me out to kill me.

"Who are you?" I ask picking up the sword in case he chose to end it all and attack.

He laughed slightly and then re-aimed his gun on me.

"You messed with the wrong family when you got involved with my little cousin. The boss isn't happy, and so he sent me to deal with the problem. Your family is meant to keep it's filth to itself. You broke the rules and now you have to pay for it"

"Little cousin… Wait! What did you do to Hayato?" my mind suddenly was kicked into gear. Shamal had been acting funny, did that have anything to do with this. Had he known this was going to happen?

My opponent broke into laughter again, tipping his head back to the cloudy sky.

"Now you understand you sin. Don't worry Hayato has been brought back home. He won't be leaving for a while. He's not to blame though, this is your families doing after all. You were caught in your little game. I spotted you at the church. The stupid doctor was with you wasn't he? When he arrived home the boss dealt with him and threatened Hayato's life. He soon told us what had been happening. We used him as a decoy to get Hayato to go back by having him call and ask where he was. He led us straight to you. Such fools… But it doesn't matter now. Your life will soon be over"

I hadn't the time to think as I dodged his attack moving to the side and hiding behind the fountain. He was really going to kill me. I was soon moving again as I heard the sound of falling stone crashing into the pavement. H-he had _cut_ through the stone of the fountain. How?

I jerked my head to the side to see that he was now holding a sword in his hand watching me with a calm gaze. He was now standing the opposite side of the now broken fountain. But not for long, he leapt to the side and jumped up over the water to where I stood. His sword was brought down fast and I scrambled to meet it with my own, blocking him from slashing through me. He smirked as he landed on his feet and pushed down on his sword trying to make me drop my guard. With a push to the side I broke our struggle and lunged down before bringing my blade up, smacking into his ribs with the back of my sword.

I couldn't kill him could I?

He might be trying to kill me but, he was still part of Hayato's family. Would he be mad at me if I killed his cousin? Would he understand that I had to, because if I didn't surely he was going to kill me?

I had no time to think as my enemy soon recovered and came running at me once more blade poised and aimed at my head. I was back to blocking once more. But he had thought ahead and now went for my lower body trying to slash my stomach. I caught the sudden movement again and blocked the attempt. He tried again and again and again. My head, my shoulder, lower leg and chest. All tries were met and blocked on my part as I struggled to keep up with his speed while attempting to find my own opening to pay him back.

But we couldn't keep this up forever and I tried to break the chain.

I brought my blade to the side again, letting it scrape down his before turning round and aiming for his neck to slash it from his shoulders…

The move didn't work out and he twisted his arm round and again defended against my move with a laugh.

"You're good kid. Who taught you?"

I glared at him, still trying to push him back and slash that smug looking grin from his face.

"A better man than you" I sneered and pushed back on my right foot, leaning down and pushing forward again, sword lowered ready to swing up and hopefully land a hit on his chest.

I missed. He hit me back with the side of his blade and my own ended up catching his shoulder and tearing through cloth and then skin leaving a nasty rip of flesh behind. He let out a grunt and punched me back with his fist on instinct.

I hit the floor as the heavens opened and rain came tumbling down on us, the clock on the town hall blaring out, letting everyone know that it was now 11pm.

We were both frozen, watching the other breathe in and out rapidly. He broke the moment by laughing and pulling himself back upright. I followed the movement pushing myself up on the sword that wasn't my own.

Before I could even steady myself he had lunged forward and sent his sword into my leg. My own instincts kicked in and I rammed my sword up, taking advantage of his being impaled in my leg and pieced through his abdomen painfully. He jerked back and his face contorted into an ugly feral look and he hammered on my blade, which was back defending me again, trapping us in battle of blocking and attacking. There would be no end in this game; we were both evenly matched when it came to this clearly. One of us was going to have to take a chance…

My eyes flew open as I saw him suddenly bring his sword up high, the tip aimed at my head.

Now!

I brought my own up fast and slashed across his stomach, digging it in as much as I could, trying to make the wound deep enough so he wouldn't get back up this time; but I still didn't want to kill him.

He gasped and gave a gurgled cough, spitting up blood onto the water logged ground below us. His body gave out and toppled forward onto the ground, I took a step back so as to avoid any funny move he might make. He didn't, simply lying there in a fast growing puddle of his own blood.

Was he dead?

I found myself uncaring as I dropped the borrowed sword onto the ground and made a move to start forward, trying to think how I would explain this to my family. My wounds hindered me for a moment as I made it to the top of the stairs leading back down the pavement and stopped.

God it was painful.

I moved a foot forward once more testing how much weight I could put onto my wounded leg.

BANG!

What?

The sound hit my ears and echoed in my head. A gun? But he had used a sword…

No.

Pain blossomed in my back and the front of my chest. My hand gripped my shirt over my heart. What was going on?

He had had gun too… At some point. Was I falling? What had happened? He was dead wasn't he? No I didn't kill him, I didn't want to.

"Did you really think I would let you go so easily" He was standing above me from my fallen position at the bottom of the stairs; looking down on me from his pedestal as the winner.

I didn't say anything. I couldn't the world was going funny, twisting and fading to black at different intervals. Must have been the lights, they kept going off. On and then off. On and then off.

"Ha. You look so pathetic lying there. Just remember kid, don't take it personally or anything. But our family doesn't fight fair…"

He was gone. Just like that. Leaving me here on the ground soaking up the rain and trying to forget just how much pain I'm in.

It's funny, my life isn't flashing before my eyes. Shouldn't it be?

No all I can think about is how I promised I'd see Hayato soon. I wasn't going to be able to keep that now. I wasn't going to be able to call him and tell him everything was fine. Because it wasn't.

Hadn't he mentioned something about a house with the view of the sea? I'd have liked that, waking up to the ocean every day. Well waking up to Hayato and the ocean.

I would never hear him call me an idiot again…

I really wanted to hear him call me that right now. Really bad. I couldn't remember what his voice sounded like. The rain was drowning him out. Stupid rain…

Was he crying? I could feel it, it was hitting me hard from the heavens.

Don't cry Hayato… Don't cry…

I'll see you soon…

* * *

And so part two of the 3 part thing. This one was obviously a little more sad, as yes, this is based off Romeo and Juliet and therefore there will be death I am sorry to say. But on the plus side I hope this was worth the wait! I shall be working on part three as soon as I am done writing this, so hopefully another update shall be on it's way!

Dreamcloud.


	8. Chapter 8: In Sickness and In Health

**Title**: In Sickness and In Health**  
****Pairing****: **80/59**  
****Summary****: **Yamamoto suddenly becomes sick and for unknown reasons he suddenly feels a weird bout of sympathy… Wait what?**  
****Author's Note(s)****:** Meh, this one didn't turn out the way I wanted it too. I sat reading it for a while and couldn't work out what was missing… So here it is I suppose…

The stupid ignorant baseball freak! If I ever saw him again I am going to blow him sky high! I swear!

I had been waiting outside for the tenth, such was our normal routine. The stupid baseball freak was supposed to meet us there. Technically I could actually meet with him at his house, being as I walk past it every morning. But I refused to be associated with him, unless I'm with the tenth.

But low and behold it appears that said baseball nut is ill. Reason I know because he phoned the tenth while we were waiting for him show.

So the now the tenth is worrying un-necessarily about that idiot. He shouldn't have to waste such valuable feelings on a moron like him. He'll most likely recover within a day or two and be back to his baseball playing ways.

But no, my ever caring boss is still worried by the time lunch rolls round. We're sitting on the roof, as per normal, and the tenth let out another sigh.

"Is something wrong Juudaime?" I ask already knowing what's wrong, but of course I'm caring towards the boss and so I have the decency to ask.

He looks up as though startled and gives a nervous smile.

"Ah, well I'm just worried about Yamamoto. He sounded _really_ ill on the phone and-"

I cut him off, which I know is rude but I can't let the boss continue to be worried over such a trivial matter. Well it can't be trivial if the boss is worried, but even so, that idiot had no right to make the tenth worry like that!

"Don't worry tenth" I tell him rising to my feet grinning. "I'll go check on that idiot for you right now" I finish gathering my things up and swinging my bag over my shoulder.

My ever gracious boss is up on his feet too waving his hands about and telling me there's no need to and that I have class, class which I really don't care about. I already knew what they were teaching anyway.

"You really don't have too. I really don't want you to get into trouble. Dr. Shamal said he got a letter through the door about you attendance and-"

I simply smile before disappearing, spouting promises to come back before the end of the day and get my afternoon mark. After all I'm only going to shout at the idiot and tell him what a disgrace he is. Shouldn't take that long at all if he just lets me say what I need to.

**LINE BREAK:- **

The moron left his door open, and by the looks of it his dad isn't home. Geez I hope he gets burgled one of these day, freaking idiot deserves it.

I move into the restaurant half of the building and take a quick look around to make sure no one's here.

"Oi! Anyone here!" I call, glancing about to see the pots haven't been done and are still soaking in the sink. I wrinkle my nose slightly and frown.

Seriously I live by myself and my place is tidier than this! One would have thought considering it's a restaurant it would be cleaner. I write myself a mental note to scold the sick idiot and make his place look more presentable. For Christ sakes the tenth eats here after all!

Moving upstairs and still no signs of live appear before me; although if he really is ill he shouldn't be walking around right? His doors slight a jar and it's really dark in here for some reason or other meaning he's not been up at all to open the curtains. Lazy idiot.

I walk right in shutting the door as go and find him sprawled out on the covers arm hanging off the side of the bed fast asleep.

Seriously, I hope he gets robbed.

"Oi! Idiot! Get up!" I order him kicking the leg that's hanging out of bed in an attempt to get him moving again.

His reaction is slow and to be honest he looks pathetic as he tries to manoeuvre himself up, eyes peering at me sleepily, and top wrinkled and dirty. But he still manages to prop himself up against the pillow behind him. Which is good cause I'm sure as hell not going to do it for him.

"Ah, Gokudera what are you doing here?" he asks voice croaky and dry and I swear he just tried to cover a cough.

I turn to the side and try to look indifferent, though he does look bad and even I have to admit that…

"The Tenth was worried about you idiot, so I had to come and check up on you" why am I suddenly unable to yell at him like I intended? There's no _way_ I feel sorry for him right? No absolutely not! I'm going to give him a freaking piece of my mind just like I meant to the first time round.

He's smiling! How dare he, we're… No I mean the _tenth_ is worried about him and here he is sitting here grinning like a fool! I don't care if he's got bags under his eyes, or he looks horrifically pale compared to normal, or he's reacting really slow like his brains suddenly turned to mush and-

Wait a minute….

What?

I don't care, honestly, I swear I don't. I just notice these things because I'm really observant. Plus I have to be because I'm the tenths right hand man and as his right hand man I have to be observant.

Why isn't he saying anything…?

Oh right! I'm standing here with this conflicted look on my face and I probably look as stupid as he does right now. Oh God! I caught his stupidity!

"C-can I get you anything?" I blurt out trying to fill the awkward silence that took place while I was having my inner ramblings. What a stupid thing to ask!

"Erm, well you're a guest so-" he starts to get out of bed, which once again is stupid because he's ill and I can't as the tenths right hand man let him get an sicker because the tenth will worry.

"No! Stay there you baseball freak!" I tell him forcing him to stay put by pushing him back down, and then snatching my hands back when I realise I just touched his bare shoulders. "I-I came over to check on you for the tenth so you have to stay put alright? If you want anything just say and I'll go get it" I fold my arms and look away trying to pass it off as no big deal; because it isn't. I'm not doing this because I like him or I'm worried. I'm doing this for the Juudaime. God dammit he better realise that too!

He simply blinks and looks confused, like a fool. But then it seems to click and he smiles again leaning back into his pillow happily.

"Well I'm really thirsty actually"

What's that surpassed to mean? So he wants water or what? Screw this I don't want to play nurse. So instead I ignore him and sit down on the bed trying my best to look as annoyed as possible, because to be honest I don't particularly want to be here.

"Where's your old man anyway?" I grumble looking at the colourful socks and tissue littering his bedroom room floor. Seriously does he even clean his room?

I hear him laugh and flick my eyes over to him watching in amusement as he chokes slightly when a harsh clutter of coughs hit him. It's funny and slightly cute as his winces…

What…?

Stupid idiot.

"Ahh" he says rubbing the front of his chest smiling back at me as I frown. "He's away at the moment visiting my aunt. He won't be back for a couple of days" he tells me blowing his nose.

Another scowl takes a hold of me as I watch him. Jesus he really is ill.

I take pity on him and push back up off the bed heading for the door.

"You're leaving?" he asks behind me, sounding slightly worried.

I turn back round to face him, rolling my eyes as I do. Honestly does he really think I'd leave without my bag - which by the way is sitting on the end of his bed in plain sight? His sickness addled brain must have turned to mush; I have a 3 week supply of cigarettes in there!

"No stupid. You need a refill of water right?" I say as though it's obvious, which it is. It's not like I felt the need to wonder around his fish riddled house.

He looks surprised like I just offered myself to him. Wait. Wrong choice of words there…

Whatever.

His kitchen isn't easy to use. It's separated into food for the restaurant and food for Yamamoto senior and the baseball idiot. Meaning it's all freaking colour coded! Blue means it's for the restaurant and red isn't. I faintly remember that idiot telling me and the boss last time we were here and the boss got curious as to why everything had these stupid labels attached. Not that I was paying attention.

Once I managed to successfully fill a glass with water I get curious. When was the last time he ate? Had he even been out of bed to get himself something?

Living with Shamal for a while meant I did actually pick up on a few things; Other than Shamal's tips on getting woman to swoon, which may I add he's terrible at. Flinging one's self at woman and trying to woo them into bed does _not_ work. But Shamal's issues aside he _did_ teach me how to dress wounds and keep them successfully infection free. He also taught me that when ill it's best to rest and eat high nutrient foods. Not that I actually listened to him…

That being said what was the freak eating? One look at the kitchen sink told me not a lot.

For some reason I take pity on him again…

Half an hour later finds me frowning over a bowl of tomato soup. I don't care what people say about me and Bianchi, I unlike her can cook. It's not supposed to be surprising! Living on my own taught me that I have to fend for myself, this means at some point I am going to have to cook something. When I do manage to get a good wage from my part time job - and I can actually afford something other than instant noodles – I tend to splash out on some decent food, food that actually needs cooking instead of being shoved in that crappy excuse of a microwave.

Finding a decent bowl for the soup and plate for the toasted bread to go with it isn't hard. Luckily the plates and such aren't colour coded up. I also realise that balancing plates and dishes and a refill of water on a tray is actually quite difficult. How the hell does that Idiot make it look so easy? Does he have freaking enhanced balancing skills!? Surly baseball isn't that good a sport that it can do that. Stupid of course it isn't!

Yamamoto looks pleasantly surprised when I walk in with the tray and dump it down in front of him, while telling him to be grateful or die.

"I thought I could smell something good" he tells me cheerfully while looking it over and covering a cough.

His stomach then gurgles and confirms my suspicions of him not eating much. I frown. Why does that bother me so much? It's his own goddamn fault for not taking care of himself. Yeah, it's so own sick addled fault.

"Ah this is really good!"

I break from my thoughts and watch in fascination as he slurps away at the soup smiling up at me.

"Well what the hell were you expecting?!" I snap.

He blinks and lets that stupid confused look pass over his face again. I swear this idiot goes throughout much of his life confused. If he put half as much effort into his studies as he did baseball he could probably start catching me up grades wise. Ah, wait don't be stupid that's impossible.

"Ah, well your related to Bianchi, so I thought maybe I would end up being poisoned" he has the nerve to attempt to laugh as he finishes the sentence, and I have to tell myself killing would not help the situation and the Tenth wouldn't be happy if this waste of air died.

"Idiot! Just because I'm related to Bianchi doesn't mean I have her poor skills when it comes to cooking too!" I ball my hands into fists and then watch as he disintegrates into a coughing fit as he laughs.

A small spark of worry washes away the irritation as he reaches for the glass of water on the bed side table. But due to the fact that he eyes are tightly such due to the pain from coughing so aggressively he can't reach it. I sigh and pick it up instead sitting back down on his bed and hand it to him. He gives me a weak smile and drinks. I sigh once more as he calms back down.

"You really are ill then…" I state folding my knees to my chest and watching him continue to eat from the corner of my eyes.

"Ah, yeah I guess so. I haven't been ill for a while though and when I am my dad's here so it's a bit easier. But he's away at the minuet and I don't want him to worry" he tells me breaking the toast in half and ducking it into the bowel seemingly more than happy. He then glances up. "But you're here so I guess that's okay"

I feel my face flush at the words he's just so carelessly said. What the hell does that mean?! Is trying to say he's happy that I'm here? Who the hell says that to another guy anyway? I suddenly remember that this is the baseball idiot and that he never thinks before he speaks so I shouldn't be so shocked. I shake my head and sigh in frustration.

"Well don't expect me to play your goddamn nurse" I tell him sharply. He better not get the wrong idea.

"Haha, I wouldn't mind"

…WHAT!

The force of which my head shoots round to look at him physically hurts and I can already see myself sitting in front of Shamal demanding him to hand over whatever pain medication he's got later. But seriously did Yamamoto just say that? Even his poor excuse for a brain must make the connection that there are just some things that you don't say to people.

"Don't get the bloody wrong idea you idiota! Per l'amor di Dio non ho mai incontrato qualcuno così stupido come te nella mia vita! Se dici qualcosa di così stupido che ancora una volta mi occuperò personalmente di fare in modo non sarete mai in grado di giocare che lo sport maledetto ti amo così tanto di nuovo!**(1)**"

It took me a moment to realise that in my anger I'd slipped into Italian by reflex. It didn't happen often and when it did I usually got funny looks from the people I had the misery of hanging around with. Like the time when Bianchi and me had fallen into an argument. We had all been round Yamamoto's place celebrating something; even that annoying Haru girl and Lawn head's sister were there. It had been one the most embarrassing things I had ever done. I can't even remember what we were arguing about. But somewhere between her yelling at me and me yelling back I had slipped into the flow of Italian even though she was still clearly speaking in Japanese. Apparently my anger had just been that great. Luckily for me only Bianchi, Shamal and Reborn and Dino had understood what I had said. However that didn't help much when the rest of our group were staring at me with looks ranging from confusion to awe.

"_Oi, Tako head I extremely didn't understand what you just said!"_

The experience of trying to explain to Lawn Head that yes, there were other languages other than Japanese had been one of the hardest things I had ever had to teach him…

But back to the current situation. I couldn't have been more mortified as he just stared up at me blinking.

"Erm, I don't speak Italian Gokudera… So I didn't quiet catch that…"

"Never mind! Just eat your goddamn soup and don't speak. It cause me great pain"

"Haha. Okay!"

In the end he didn't question what I had said. It didn't matter anyway, I would have been quite happy for the chance to repeat it back to him in a language he did understand. But after he had finished eating I had taken the bowl and plate back downstairs and made a start – initiated world war 3 - on cleaning up the mess he had left in the sink for god knows how long. Then, out of the goodness of my own heart, I had brought him yet another glass of water and two painkillers. He'd thanked me before downing them and placing the now empty glass down on table.

"Haha, you're being really nice today!"

I rolled my eyes and glanced at the clock on his table. Shit! School had already finished half an hour ago! Damn I had promised the Tenth I would go back after making sure this idiot was okay and get my afternoon mark. This however didn't seem like it was going to happen now. No doubt Shamal would find out too and grill me over it later. God I could already feel the headache.

"Don't get used to it. I'm only doing the Tenth a favour" I muttered to him before reaching for my bag at the end of the bed.

"You're going?" he asked softly watching me move off the bed.

I nod in response and move towards the door.

"Don't look so pitiful. If it bothers you so much I'll come back tomorrow and check on you. That way the Tenth will know your fine and you'll get some decent company out of it"

He cocks his head to the side in thought.

"But what will you get out of it?"

"As long as you let me smoke I'll be fine. Besides it's my job as the Tenths right hand man to make sure the rest of you slackers are alright"

"Does that mean you'd nurse Sasagawa- senpai back to health if he was ill? Or is it just a privilege that I have?"

The urge to inflict pain became too great and I ended up grabbing him by the front of his shirt and glaring harshly at him.

"If yo-"

The insult never materialised as he planted his mouth on mine and forced our bodies close to each other. I pushed at him trying to move his weight off me, but the sneaky bastard collapsed onto of me pinning me beneath him and making it impossible to move. I was stuck, with him on top of me lip locked. How the bloody hell had this happened? I was going to catch his stupid! That or his god dammed fever.

After his assault on my mouth he moved down to my neck and began nipping the skin there. He was really hot still from the fever and it was making me shiver. Had he lost his mind?! Why the hell wasn't I punching him in the face and making sure his nether regions never worked properly again?!

The loss of heat brought me back to my senses and I realised he had stopped and was staring down at me blinking. Oh hell no! He was not going act confused over this, he was the bloody one who had kissed _me_!

"You're not getting angry or pushing me away"

What…?

"Does that mean you're okay with this" he made some funny gesture between us and waited for me to answer.

Was I okay with this? He was meant to ask me that before he dived in and just kissed me out of nowhere; not afterwards! Why was he so back to front?

"You've already started so you might as well finish" I murmured not looking at him. I was not going to admit I had liked him kissing me or anything, so he better not damn well expect me to.

He was sinking down on me again, his lips close to my ear breathing warm puffs of air. I involuntary shivered and turned my head away from him.

"I'll take that as a yes then"

"I thought you were ill?"

"How can I even think about that when you're letting me do what I've wanted to for ages?"

Even if I had wanted to think about that I couldn't when his hand travelled down my thigh and rested at my knee. How far would he go with this exactly? All the way? Or just do a half assed job and stop when it looked like we were going to get serious?

My answer came when his finger began to slide the zip down on my pants and slowly pull them down. My hands suddenly clung to his shirt as I felt them slip away. He smirked, seemingly happy with my response. He then moved to his own pants while attaching his lips to mine again. We moved slowly hands exploring each other.

It was then a voice broke through our passionate moment and I froze beneath Yamamoto.

"Yamamoto? Are you home?"

The Tenth was here! He was going to see us like this half naked and kissing the living daylights out of each other!

"Oi, Yamamoto get off!" I hissed in my half panicked state.

He just looked at me and frowned pushing up onto his hands, still hovering over me.

"Why?"

"The Tenths here you complete ass. Do you want him to catch us like this?"

I could hear the Tenth making his way up the stairs coming closer to us and finding us.

"Move!" I yelled at him deciding that playtime was over as I grabbed my pants and pulled them back on smoothing them down and trying to make myself look presentable. I then grabbed Take-Yamamoto's own clothes and flinging them at him with an order to put them on or die.

This was all done in time for the Tenths arrival as he came waltzing through the door and blinking in surprise at me.

"Eh? Gokudera-kun? Your still here?" he then smiled at me, probably thinking I had had been keeping the idiot company all this time; which technically I had been.

"Ah, Juudaime, erm, yeah this idiot kept me talking all afternoon" I explained, trying to keep my voice level and cool the flush in my cheeks.

"Oh, that was kind of you Gokudera-kun!" I was rewarded with another kind smile as he turned to fuss over Yamamoto asking if he was okay and if there was anything he could do.

"No it's okay Gokudera's been looking after me just fine. He even made me soup!"

Idiot! He shouldn't tell Juudaime that!

I once again flushed as the Tenth turned to me blinking. Most likely wondering why I had made a 360 turn in respect to my attitude towards the baseball freak. It wasn't like I had done it to be nice!

"Well as the Tenths right hand man, it's my job to make sure that his guardians are in good condition. After all how are you supposed to protect the Tenth if you're so ill?"

It stayed like that for while with Yamamoto making stupid comments and me having to correct him. But I was beginning to feel slightly awkward as time went on. He kept shooting me these odd looks that were making my stomach flip and the room feel slightly warmer. What was with that?!

In the end I decided it would be best to leave and get the hell out before I did or said something stupid. After all I must have caught his stupid when he kissed me.

Oh God don't think about it!

The Tenth seemed concerned as he pointed out I had suddenly had gone red. I quickly made an excuse that I had to go because it was getting late and I still had some studying to do. They brought it; at least I think the Tenth did. Yamamoto just gave me an odd look that reminded me of disbelief. I swear to God if he tells the Tenth what occurred before he walked in he will die slowly, pathetically and painfully.

**LINE BREAK:-**

It came as no surprise when the next day rolled round and I went off to meet the Tenth for school that Yamamoto was already standing there with a grin on his face. He looked fine with that healthy glow to his skin once more apparent and his arms resting behind his head casually. I couldn't help but frown. Did he have the healing process of a God or something?

He greeted me enthusiastically and made no comment about what had occurred last night. In fact he was very subdued and made no move to be overfriendly like he normally did.

Now what the hell was wrong with him?

The Tenth made a hasty exit from his house, running along with a piece of toast in his mouth. He came to stop in front of us and greeted us like he normally did, a soft smile making its way across his face.

"Good morning Tenth!" I said happy now he was here. It would take my mind off the idiot and hopefully keep things less awkward.

But to my surprise Yamamoto suddenly drew up to my side and slipped his hand through mine, well out of Tsuna's sight. He said nothing and continued to talk to Tsuna about this year's baseball season and how he was a regular on the team again. I just stared up at him wondering why on earth he was suddenly holding my hand. I didn't dare say anything though being as Tsuna was right next to us. So I left it and let Yamamoto do as he pleased for now.

But my chance came as the Tenth ran off to greet Lawn Heads sister and Haru who had taken to walking half way with the other girl.

"What are you doing?" I asked Yamamoto as we came to a stop at the gates.

He simply smiled down at me and gave my hand a squeeze.

"You said I should finish what I started yesterday. So that's what I'm doing"

Even though I had never heard something to stupid in my life and even though I really should have punched him for using my own words against me. Somehow I could bring myself to and so for once in my life I let things be and simply let him hold my hand, as we walked into the school. Then at the end of the day when we were walking home I didn't bother to question him as he reached for it again.

**LINE BREAK:- **

So there we have it! By the way I have been busy on a new KHR project this one is actually a full story rather then one of these quick one shots. Hopfully after I get a few more chapters done I will start posting it. So there something to look forward to I surpose. Again I apologise for the lack of updates.

(1) - For god's sakes I've never met someone as stupid as you in my life! If you say something as stupid as that again I will personally make sure you'll never be able to play that goddamn sport you love so much again!


	9. Chapter 9: 7 Days: Day 1

**Title****: **7 Days**  
****Author****: **Dreamcloud**  
****Fandom****: **Katekyo Hitman Reborn**  
****Pairing****: **80/59 **Word Count****: **4,221  
**Summary****: **Hayato Blows up his apartment after trying out a new explosive and is forced to move in with Takeshi until the apartment is mended. **Author's Note(s)****: **Hoping to do this in 7 parts one chapter for each day.

I really hate my life sometimes. No, what I really hate is that he universe seems to have an unnecessary vendetta against me.

Everything had been going fine up until the point where the new set of dynamite I had been testing out blew up in my face. Quite literally…

I had been trying out a new powder that came at a cheaper price than the current powder I use; I've got to start cutting costs somewhere being as the rent goes up next month. However I wanted to make sure that this new stuff had the same fire power as current stock. This meant I just had to pilot test it…

Note to self: never experiment with dynamite in the apartment again. Ever!

Though in my defence I hadn't meant to light it when I had. This was the problem with smoking around explosives; these things just tend to happen sometimes…

One little speck of ash hits the fuse and the next thing I knew I was waking up under the kitchen table surrounded by the charred - yet still burning - remains of my home. Naturally it didn't take long before the landlord came running down from upstairs shouting and screaming, demanding to know what the fuck had happened.

He wasn't impressed to say the least when he found out why his precious rundown sad excuse for an apartment had gone up in smoke, neither were my neighbours. Again in my defence I wasn't either, this meant I had just wasted a fair amount of money for nothing, and blown up the rest of my dynamite along with it! So yeah I'm not very fucking _impressed_ either!

But to cut a long story short he ended up calling for the emergency services and they eventually came to put out the fire and collect what they could salvage from my apartment. Not that I care, anything that has any sort of value to me doesn't leave my person anyway; (although I did have to be grateful when they managed to salvage a bagful of clothes that had been found in my charred wardrobe).

Other than that everything else seemed to have been lost in the fire. Crap.

I was on the middle of pondering why the hell these things always seem to happen to me when one of the guys who had been putting out the fire I had started came waltzing up to me. Joy, on top of losing pretty much all I owned I now have to socialise with the damn people who had crushed my pride by helping me. The fuck did I ever do to you god?!

"Excuse me young man?"

I turn round to try and look more sociable, emphasis on the _try_.

"Where will you be staying while the renovations are being made to the property?"

I blink and stare back at him for a moment because A: I hadn't even begun to think about that, and B: Why the hell does this guy even care?

"I'll just call up a friend or something and ask if I can stay there" I tell him casually hoping it's enough to get him the go away. I don't need any nosy adults bugging me and trying to give me sympathetic looks every other second. It's kinda why I stay around here in the rougher side of the town, nobody cares what you're doing or where you're going so long as you stay out there business, and that suits me just fine.

"Oh right. Don't you have any family that could offer you somewhere to stay?"

For Gods sakes why the hell does this idiot care so much?!

"No. Like I said I'll just call a friend and ask them if I can stay there for a while" again I'm trying to cut this conversation off, however it doesn't seem to be working and there's only so long that I can be polite to people.

"Oh right well let me know how it goes we should be hanging around for a while until we're sure that the fire won't start up again" he gives me a blinding smile before heading off to join the other guys who are still scanning though to debris.

I raise an eyebrow as he leaves, because really, they must have dumped around 3 tonnes on water in the apartment and due to that saturated the walls, floors and the remains of any furniture. It's like the beginnings of an indoor swimming pool in there! That fire is _not_ going to start up again and even I know that.

But whatever I think to myself, snatching my phone from the pocket of my hoodie, huffing slightly and reaching for a cigarette and my personalised lighter with my other hand. With a flick of my finger the lighter produces a flame and creates an amber glow at the end of the cigarette.

I catch one of my neighbours rolling his eyes at me, but as soon as he catches a flash of my middle finger he's soon scowling and heading the other way.

Shamal's name flashes up at me from my phonebook and I can't help but shudder as I hit the call button. I don't want to have to rely on him like I did in Italy; and I frown as a ghost of a memory floats back to me of a time when I swore blindly that I would never call in a favour from him again. This was due to him thinking it would be funny to lock me out of his apartment because I had been in yet another fight which he didn't approve of. I had been more than embarrassed as I stood outside in the pouring rain screaming distasteful curse words up at an open window while pounding on his front door promising him an intensely inhumane death by my hands.

Dear god if there was one person in this world that really did deserve it…

"What do you want?" his voice cut through my thoughts quick from the receiver. He didn't sound pleased in the least, again I don't really care.

"I need you to come and pick me up" Not point dancing round the issue here.

He laughs and I can picture the look on his face right now. I can also picture him being blown sky high and the image alone keeps me from putting the phone down on him.

"Look my apartment got blown up and I currently don't have anywhere to go. So you either come pick me up and what's left of my worldly possessions or I'll walk over to your house and blow your door down and make myself comfy" the threat rings true and soon enough Shamals scrambling around at the other end of the line.

"Oi oi Hayato don't be so hasty, I've currently got company here!" he tells me.

"Do I sound like I care" I drawl running a hand through my hair glancing back to my trashed apartment from the hall way. "I've not got anywhere to go currently and I can't impose on the Tenths family, he's already looking after my intrusive sister plus he has all those brats living with him…" Somewhere along the line he gets the point and sighs. I smirk, I've won.

"Fine, stay where you are" at that the line goes dead and I make myself comfy on the floor.

**LINE BREAK:-**

It doesn't take long for him to arrive and he throws me a pointed look when he sees the state of the room I once inhabited.

"What the hell did you do?" he asked while grabbing one of my bags and throwing it over one shoulder.

"Nothing, just an accident with this new gunpowder I ordered"

"What's wrong with the stuff you currently use" he says while quirking an eyebrow at me. It was Sharmal who introduced me to Dunamisexplosives originally so it's no wonder he's curious.

"I'm trying to be more money wise and shit if you must know. Money doesn't just grow on trees for some people" I snap. Because I don't need to rely on my family for money I can make a living for myself I just need to be more careful on what I spend my money on that's all. Not that I would ever accept money from my father anyway…

Shamal laughs and shakes his head at me before turning serious again.

"That's all well and good. But what did I tell you about messing around with explosives while indoors?"

I roll my eyes at him and glance back down at the road. I do _not_ need a lecture from a pervert like him.

"Hayato! I'm being serious. You could have got yourself killed, again! Have you been checked for injuries?"

"Yeah, they said I was fine other than a few scratches and bruises" I tell him while batting his hand away, he looks pissed, but that doesn't surprise me. He's always saying he doesn't care what happens to me if I don't care either. But I reckon deep down in that perverted mind of his he does care but doesn't like to show it. After all why else would he drive out to me at 8 at night to pick me up, especially if he's got 'company'? Not that I believe him.

"You're lucky that you're alive" he mumbles back before opening the driver door. "Not get in the car, and no smoking!"

I frown at him and then take the cigarette out of my mouth before flicking it on the floor and snubbing it out with the heel of my trainer.

**LINE BREAK:-**

Shamals place is a mess. No seriously.

There's empty beer cans and cigarette packets everywhere and from the corner of my eye I see an collection of vintage wine bottles clustering on the coffee table to the right. It doesn't look that the living room has seen the light of day for a while and the stench of alcohol and stale cigarettes hits me like one of my rocket bombs making my eyes sting.

"What the _hell_ is this?" I ask meekly dropping my bag in the hall and daring a step into the lounge.

"The fuck do you think it is? This is where I live" he tells me and walks through to the connecting kitchen pulling out a bottle of red Italian wine and two glasses.

I frown as he hands me one of the glasses and fills it to the brim. It's not something unusual, back when I was Italy I used to come back to his place black and blue. When this happened I'd pinch a bottle of Shamal's best wine and drink till the pain numbed and I couldn't feel a nerve in my body. At a young age Italian children are allowed to drink and soon develop a high tolerance for alcohol, which is good for when you need to use it as an anaesthetic.

Though I have to admit, Shamal drinks more than your average native Italian…

I make myself comfy on his sofa and sigh. How the hell am I going to pay my landlord back for all the damage I caused?

"Oi, just to let you know you're not going to be able to stay here for long"

I glance up from the sofa to see him standing in the doorway to the kitchen frowning at me, but looking completely serious.

The fuck…

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?" I growl back, my grip on the glass tightening. Where the crap does he expect me to go?

"I'm due back in Italy on Tuesday for a week, my flights late tomorrow night so you can't stay here is what I'm saying" he says while smirking.

I stare at him stupidly for a moment and then realise I must look like that stupid baseball idiot and compose myself slightly and then letting lose all over again.

"The fuck do you expect me to go then?! Why can't I just stay here and wait till you get back?"

This time he looks at _me_ stupidly and suddenly has the nerve to laugh at me.

"If you blew up your own apartment then how the hell do you expect me to be able to trust you in my own? It's not happening Hayato" He explains and takes greedy swig of his wine. "Besides don't you have any friends that you can pull any favours from?"

"We're not in Italy you twat! I don't have anything over anyone here. So no I can't 'pull' any favours! Plus I already told you the Tenths got his hands full with that sister of mine"

He rolls his eyes at me and sets his glass down. I'm pretty sure he's used to me kicking off these days and doesn't even flinch when I throw a 'tantrum' as he so eloquently calls them.

"What about that other kid?" he then asks.

I blink who the hell is he talking about. The only people I hang around with is-

"-at one whose dad owns that fis-"

"Don't fucking finish that sentence! I'd rather cut both my hands off then stay with that pathetic excuse for a human being!"

He raised an eyebrow again and watches as I huff at the mere thought of that suggestion.

"I don't see what you've got against that kid"

My mind reels and the thought of punching Shamal in the face is becoming more and more favourable. How can he even ask that? Is it not completely obvious as to why I should hate that idiot's guts? I mean sure we get along better since the whole future thing and yeah maybe I was upset at the thought of him being dead when he got attacked by the Simon's sport freak Kaoru. But that doesn't mean I still don't wish some days that he would get hit by a freaking bus!

…Okay so maybe a bus is little harsh. But at least by a rogue bicycle!

"Seriously? You're really asking me this?" I say staring blankly at him. He gives me a 'sure-why-the-hell-not' look and I glare back feeling all of my previous feeling of annoyance come hurtling back and settling like a bubbling pit of lava in my stomach. "He's the most infuriatingly, stupid, moronic, brainless, pathetic person I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. Plus he's obviously after the position of being the Tenths Right Hand Man. Hah! Like I would ever allow something as scandalous as that to happen to the Tenth! I don't even see what he Tenth sees in him or why he even keeps him around. He seems to really like him which is stupid because there is nothing special about him besides the fact that he's good at sports… Well not good because that would mean he has a use but… But…" I suddenly run out of juice after working myself up so much and let out a huff. "I hate him…" I finish pathetically. "So there's no way in hell I'm staying at his!"

I don't look at Shamal after that. He's gone quiet all of a sudden and _that's _never a good sign. So taking my only chance I stand up and quickly make my exit while murmuring a swift goodnight.

Sleep doesn't come easy that night. Not with the thought of where I'm going to end up staying on my mind.

**LINE BREAK:-**

The next morning Shamal makes the effort of dropping me off at school, which I have no choice to be thankful for. He makes the excuse that he feels bad being as he is going to be kicking me out into the cold later. He did offer to take me with him this morning to avoid problems, but I had to decline after finding out that he was going to visit my father. There was _no_ way I was ever going near that man again, whether he was the reason for my mother's death or not.

"Right so I'll drop you back off at my place later, so wait by the reception and I'll come down once I'm done locking the nurses office up. In the meantime try and make some new friends and then maybe you can go and have a sleepover with them or whatever it is you kids do these days" he tells me grinning. I suddenly realise that he's slipped back into fluent Italian and wonder what the fucks up with him.

It's only when I turn round and see the Tenth, baseball freak and Turf Top and his sister staring at the two of us most likely wondering why Shamals dropping me off at school.

Oh shit, now I've got to make up some stupid excuse as to why without letting them know about the fire...

"Whatever" I snap back in Japanese and then frown when it clicks that the others are close enough to hear and I don't want to give anything away. "As if I'm going to do that! I'll just have to figure something out. You better pick me up a stock of cigarettes by the way. Otherwise I'm breaking into your stash, cause this is my last pack" I yell back in Italian waving the box at him as he drives off to the teachers parking lot round the back of the school.

Asshole…

"Yo! Octopus Head! I am extremely confused. Why is that guy dropping you at school?"

Good god I hate this moron!

I turn and walk over and give a warm smile to the Tenth.

"I'm extremely sorry for being late Juudaime, I hope you weren't kept waiting long" I say franticly. The last thing I need is to annoy the Tenth.

"Ah, Gokudera-kun don't worry about it, really its fine we weren't waiting too long" he tells me waving his hands in front of me smiling nervously.

Satisfied that the Tenth is alright and comfortable I sneak a glance at the baseball freak only to see him grinning widely at me his arms folded behind his head casually. What's that idiot grinning about?

"Urm, Goukdera-kun how come Doctor Shamal dropped you off today? He doesn't usually. We thought you were sick when you didn't meet us up at my house"

My head snaps back to the Tenth again and I panic for a split second before the bell rings and we're all suddenly rushing into the school without a second thought.

**LINE BREAK:-**

As promised Shamal gives me a lift back to his place, unfortunately he then informs me that he doesn't have anything in to eat and proceeds to offer me alcohol instead.

20 minutes, a lesson in why humans cannot survive on alcohol followed by a sarcastic remark, four bruises and a black eye later we find ourselves outside a shop downtown; accompanied by a list that includes the words food and pain relievers.

My eye twitches as I watch Shamal flirt with one of the woman on duty at the store and quickly walk off as he receives a slap round the face. Unfortunately this is not usual, and I dread the day people all over Japan begin to recognise him as they do in Italy. Good god he's going to be the death of me one day.

He soon catches up to me and frowns while rubbing the red swelling on his left cheek, murmuring about how the woman here just aren't like the ones in Italy. It makes me laugh for a moment because my so called step mother is one of the most refined women in all of Italy and her so called friends are the same. The only place where Shamal could actually pick women up was the backstreets of Italy where all the not so refined people dwelled.

Eventually we settled on stir-fry which is something I'm sure even Bianchi could coo- wait never mind.

We were just about to get back into the car when someone shouted out my name, and it sure as hell wasn't Shamal. I turned my head and to my horror I saw the baseball idiot running towards me his father walking calmly behind with a grin on his face.

What the _hell!_ _Why_ was _he_ here?!

I suddenly wonder if it's possible to just drag Shamal into the car and drive off without making too much of a scene. The thought immediately dies in my head as Shamal actually waves them both over and strikes up a conversation. Note to self: beat Shamal within an inch of his life when we get back to his place.

"Haha! Gokudera why didn't you say you were staying at Doctor Shamal's place" the idiot asks, while I stare at him with a look of distaste and wonder why on earth none of my anti-social behaviour bothers him.

"He won't be for much longer" Shamal then breaks in with a smile and a sly look in eyes which I immediately catch.

"Oh how come?" Yamamoto senior then asks frowning.

A blazing look of hate passes through my eyes as I glare a hole in the back of Shamal's head, practically daring him to continue with a threat of death if he does.

Again yet another person ignores my wishes and he ploughs in with his story.

"I have an urgent trip back to Italy, my flight leaves tonight and after what happened to Hayato's flat I'm not to keen on him staying home alone in mine" he tell them with a smile and then drops it playing the worried parent card. "But I don't know where else he can go for the week…" there's a sudden pause in which Shamal looks up to Yamamoto's father with a sigh.

Dread fills me when I suddenly see where this is going, surely not. He's not suggesting what I think he i-

"Well why doesn't he come and stay with us for the week"

My head shoots up so quickly to look at Yamamoto senior that I think something in my neck snapped.

_Hell no!_

"Really?! You wouldn't mind?" Shamal then asks feigning shock.

"Sure, why not? He's one of Takeshi's friends and they go to the same school and its only for a week. It's better than him staying in some hotel where you don't know what he'll be up to"

Excuse me! I currently live alone anyway! Plus there no way Shamal's going to pay to put me up in a hotel for the week, because god knows there no way I can afford it.

"Well that's really kind of you. Hayato say thank you, Mr Yamamoto here has just solved the problem" he gives me a creepy smile like he's pleased with himself or something. I shoot him a dark look that makes it clear we're going to be having words later, before smiling to Yamamoto's father and giving him a swift bow and thanks. He simply smiles back at me and then proceeds to steer the baseball freak in around in the direction of the sushi shop.

"Well we best be getting back to lay down a spare futon, we'll see you later I take it?" he then asks.

"Yeah I'll drop him round in hour with his stuff" Shamal says while waving them off.

I catch a smile from the idiot as he leaves with his father shouting back his goodbye.

I freaking hate my life sometimes…

**LINE BREAK:-**

The ride over to Yamamoto's is awkward. I'm currently refusing to talk to Shamal and he knows it. There's been no discussion since the argument back at his flat, and there will be no discussion till he turns this damn car around.

Oddly enough – despite me glaring a few more holes in the back of his head – he doesn't turn round and in fact we're now parked outside Takesushi.

"I'm not going in there" I say pointedly, arms folded, eyes glaring straight ahead.

He shakes his head and yanks me from the car dragging my suitcase with me.

The door opens and Yamamoto senior is there with a warm smile and one armed hug as he steers me in… To where the baseball idiot is sitting at the sushi counter with that same smile that must run in the family.

"Hi Gokudera!" he calls with that annoyingly welcoming voice that makes me want to run over to him and punch him hard in the face and wipe that constant smile right off.

"I expect you've eaten, but if not we still have some sushi left over from tonight's service that your welcome to" Yamamoto senior said once more with a smile.

"Well you seem to be in good hands, I'll be off then. See you in a week" and then Shamal was gone leaving me alone in the middle of the restaurant with two grinning fools.

This week had better go fast if it knows what's good for it…

* * *

Please review and tell me what you think :)

- Dreamcloud


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